Cinnamon a health pill, says study

Health

Cinnamon, a commonly used spice in Indian recipes, may have some unexpected health benefits. Consumption of around 3gm of cinnamon powder every day can help reduce obesity and tackle metabolic disorders, shows a first-of-its-kind study on Indians published in the international journal 'Lipids in Health and Disease'.

In a clinical trial conducted in New Delhi's Fortis Diabetes Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation, Institute of Home Economics (University of Delhi) and Fortis CDOC Hospital for Diabetes and Allied Sciences investigated the effect of simple dietary intervention i.e. cinnamon among Indians, who have much greater propensity to develop multiple metabolic problems leading to diabetes at an early age.

"Purported `beneficial properties' of traditional Indian herbs and spices need to be proven on anvil of hard scientific methods. Looking at the results of our robust scientific study , now I can say with confidence that cinnamon should be included in meals by all adult Indians, and particularly those who have multiple metabolic risk factors or diabetes," said Fortis CDOC Hospital chairman Dr Anoop Misra, one of the researchers of the study.

The trial involved 116 men and women having conditions such as abdominal obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, high triglycerides and hypertension. After consuming 3gm of cinnamon powder per day for 16 weeks, the average weight reduction was from 89kg to 85kg in the cinnamon group, while it was from 82kg to 81kg in the control group that was not given cinnamon. Along with dietary intervention, people in the trial were also prescribed brisk walking for 45 minutes every day. Researchers said consuming cinnamon along with dietary changes and physical exercise decreased fasting blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin, waist circumference, and body mass index.It also improved waist-hip ratio, blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum triglycerides, and beneficial high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

"The promising results of this research reveal that simple functional foods can have tremendous health benefits. Cinnamon is a spice which is commonly used in Indian cooking and hence can be easily incorporated in our daily dietaries, which will balance out metabolism better," said Dr Seema Puri, associate professor at Institute of Home Economics, University of Delhi.

Cinnamon seems to be having its fifteen-minute fame as the most popular superfood for losing weight. Everyone from overweight aunties to fit friends are recommending it to tone the body. But is there any truth in their claims? Does this food too, like many others, won't last with its glory? Here we decode how good actually cinnamon is for weight loss.

What is Cinnamon?

Cinnamon is a spice used to flavour food and as a medicinal ingredient in several ancient natural medicine practices. We get it from the bark of the Cinnamomum tree. The bark is harvested and dried, which causes it to curl. These curled strips of bark are called cinnamon sticks. The most commercially available form of cinnamon is, however, its powdered form. Cinnamon can be bought as whole sticks, as powder or in some form of extract. It's best to buy them as sticks though because it helps avoid adulteration.

What are its properties?

It's rich in cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate and cinnamyl alcohol, substances that give cinnamon its healing properties and its sharp flavour and smell.

Nutritionally, it's a bit lacking as it doesn't contain many vitamins and minerals but this is made up by its tremendous amount of antioxidants. A study of twenty-six different herbs and spices ranked cinnamon second highest in antioxidants, even higher than garlic or oregano! This is important as oxidative stress in the body is often linked to diseases, diabetes and inflammation, most of which contribute to fat storage in the body.

It also aids in digestion at every step of the process. Firstly, it acts on enzymes which help slow the digestion of carbohydrates. This is good for our bodies as we then feel satiated longer and we absorb the nutrients more effectively.

It also lowers the spike of blood sugar post meal by lowering the amount of sugar that enters the bloodstream.

It mimics insulin and improves insulin sensitivity, making cell transportation and absorption of glucose better, drawing more energy from our food and ensuring that less of it is converted into fat. A study found these effects of cinnamon last twelve hours! So, you only need a small daily dose of cinnamon for weight loss.

All these properties of cinnamon make it a powerful medicine for diabetics, pre-diabetics or anyone with insulin resistance and/or insulin sensitivity. So, while anyone can (and clearly should) have it daily, diabetics should make a point to include it in their diets.