The benefits and harms of ground cinnamon, the variety of its uses

How to use ground cinnamon Buyanov Oleg

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Buyanov Oleg

Date: 04 September, 2019 ||

Category: Nutrition Basics

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ground cinnamon
Hello my dear.

Do you know how good ground cinnamon is? And how to use it correctly and in what quantity so that it does not harm you?

From this article you will find out how this spice is useful, what effect it has on women's health, whether it can be used during pregnancy. How to apply for weight loss.

From what age children eat it, with diabetes and after childbirth. And how can she harm if taken incorrectly.

There is no such person who has not tasted cinnamon at least once in his life. The range of its application is incredibly wide: since ancient times, the spice has been used for the preparation of food and drinks, cosmetics and perfumery products, as well as for the treatment and prevention of diseases of various organs..

How to define quality

Still, it can really bring health benefits, but it must be a quality product, which is not easy to choose.

Health benefits and harms of ground cinnamon - highlights

Let's figure out how to determine the quality of ground cinnamon. The best variety is produced in Sri Lanka and is called Ceylon cinnamon.

But in the store it can be passed off as "cassia", which grows in China and Indonesia.

It does not have the full range of healing properties, but sometimes it can even cause harm: a substance that is dangerous for the liver called "coumarin" in the Chinese "version" is a hundred times more than in the Ceylon one.

Therefore, in order not to be mistaken, inquire about the country of origin in the store. If this is Sri Lanka, you need to take it.

If Indonesia, Vietnam or China - take your time with the purchase... Experts also do not advise taking goods packaged in the USA, Israel and Germany, because these countries do not have well-established supplies from Sri Lanka.

It is safer to buy cinnamon sticks (and grind them), here the probability of error is reduced: Ceylon is light brown, but cassia is heterogeneous in its shades - reddish, brown or gray.

They are even distinguished by their smell: in the first it is soft, sweet. The second one is not so saturated, at the same time rude, sweet to sugary.

The final clarity will help to bring an experiment that is easy to carry out at home: if iodine is dropped on the "subject", the high-quality powder will turn slightly blue, while the cassia will turn dark blue.

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Cinnamon in nature

Cinnamon is obtained by cutting off the inner layer of the bark of an evergreen cinnamon growing in Brazil, South. China, India, Indonesia, Egypt, Vietnam, Madagascar, Sumatra, and his homeland is Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

The cut bark is dried, while it is rolled into tubes, which are cut into sticks up to 12 cm long. Cinnamon is sold on sale in the form of sticks, or ground into powder.

Dried flowers or clove-like cinnamon buds are also sometimes found on the market, giving tea and other beverages a clean, delicate aroma.

What is useful for the body

Ground cinnamon has many beneficial propertiesthat should be used, giving preference to this gift of nature, rather than chemicals.

Useful properties of ground cinnamon

In the list below, you can clearly see the health benefits of ground cinnamon.

The healing properties of ground cinnamon:

  • anti-inflammatory, bactericidal;
  • antimicrobial;
  • it has a positive effect on the composition of the blood (helps to avoid the formation of blood clots);
  • removes toxins from the body;
  • reduces the amount of sugar in the blood (this is due to the substance polyphenol, which takes over the functions of insulin);
  • provides an analgesic effect;
  • supports the liver, choleretic system;
  • activates brain activity;
  • restores strength, efficiency;
  • improves memory;
  • helps to overcome depression.

Homeland of the spice

Real cinnamon grows in Ceylon. Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Ceylon cinnamon) belongs to the laurel family. It is an evergreen plant that in the wild can reach a height of 10-15 meters. On agricultural plantations, cinnamon is an abundant shrub.

cinnamon plantation

The leaves of a young plant are red or crimson in color. This is facilitated by the anthocyanin pigment, which protects the cinnamon from ultraviolet rays. The crown of older plants becomes dark green in color. The leaves, like the bark, exude a pleasant scent that resembles a carnation.

Features of the impact on health

The degree of human exposure varies. depending on his individual characteristics, age, belonging to one or the other sex... It is impossible not to take this into account, otherwise the benefit that was expected will turn into trouble.

Sometimes, without giving up cinnamon completely, it is enough to reduce its portion or frequency of intake. Consider the benefits and potential harms of ground cinnamon for people of all ages.

Adult men and women

According to an ancient legend, the goddess of love Aphrodite won the hearts of her admirers with her beauty and little feminine tricks.

How is ground cinnamon useful for the human body?
There is some truth in every fairy tale.

Cinnamon was sewn into her belt, for which the goddess herself descended to earth. The magical aroma did not give the gods and mere mortals a chance to resist the beauty's spell.

Today it is scientifically proven that cinnamon is very effective for men, returns their lost strength. With her participation, they solve their intimate problems, get rid of erectile dysfunction, if it was caused by stress, nervous strain, unhealthy lifestyle.

This is a natural remedy protect a man from heart and vascular problems, return to normal life after a heart attack, reduce the risk of its possible recurrence.

Half a teaspoon of powder a day will lower bad cholesterol, blood sugar, and help you lose excess pounds. Cinnamon will fight all those troubles that can slowly but surely turn a not old person into a "wreck".

Men who use this natural medicine regularly suffer less from urinary tract diseases. If a man is engaged in hard physical work or sports, cinnamon will help him to more easily overcome muscle pain.

From the "female" useful properties spices it should be noted the ability of ground cinnamon to reduce pain during menstruation, to raise the tone, get rid of the irritability that accompanies the mood of women on "difficult days."

Pregnant and lactating

But for pregnant women, this powder should be temporarily abandoned.

The effect of ground cinnamon on the body of a pregnant and giving birth woman

It provokes uterine contractionswhich leads to miscarriage or problems with the development of the fetus.

In the postpartum period, as the people say, this is a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, cinnamon is needed to help a woman recover, and the uterus will quickly return to its normal size.

On the other hand, a nursing mother needs to be careful in choosing food and drinks, so that none of them will cause the baby allergic reaction.

Cinnamon can provoke it.

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Children

Children who have been noted to be allergic to food, cinnamon is also introduced into the menu very carefully. If there are no problems, they add it to food and drink from the age of 4: at first a little, and when the child turns 7 years old - in an amount equal to half the daily "adult" portion.

It helps children improve brain function. - to develop faster, easier to learn lessons. It is good for vision, strengthens memory. The child gets good protection from viral infections, which is useful during flu epidemics.

In old age

Elderly people need this natural medicine:

  • for the prevention of heart attack;
  • against thrombus formation;
  • to normalize pressure;
  • as a remedy for arthritis;
  • with memory disorder;
  • against insomnia.

According to scientific studies, cinnamon is a good preventive measure against a serious illness - Alzheimer's disease. Daily intake of the extract of this plant has an effective effect on the patient's brain.

We suggest watching a video about the benefits and harmful properties of ground cinnamon:

Characteristics of cassia

Despite the fact that this particular spice is presented on the shelves of our stores in 90% of cases, few people know this name. What cassia is, is known mainly by chefs and those who are seriously concerned with their health. This seasoning is made from trees related to cinnamon, but with slight differences. They grow in Vietnam, Indonesia and China. For the production of cassia, whole pieces of bark are taken from trees at least 7 years old. Therefore, the sticks of this seasoning turn out to be so tough and rough, and its smell is sharp and bitter.

Potential danger and contraindications

Problems usually arise when a person loses a sense of proportion. In the hope of a quick result, he begins to eat the spice with large spoons.

Contraindications to the use of cinnamon and its effect on the body

Experts warn: in small doses it is a medicine, in large doses it is a dangerous product... For example, one pinch activates the brain, and a "horse dose" leads to a breakdown, headache.

Coumarin contained in the spice negatively affects health - if the norm is exceeded, the liver can suffer from coumarin.

Healing spice is completely contraindicated. pregnant women due to the threat of miscarriage, people with low blood clotting, with serious stomach diseases, high blood pressure, pancreatitis (due to the large amount of essential oils).

You should not give this natural medicine to patients with high fever, their health will worsen from this.

Cooking

With the help of wraps with honey and cinnamon, you can enhance the slimming effect. The procedure can be easily done at home. It is necessary to prepare an anti-cellulite scrub. To do this, put a large container of water on the stove, a smaller one, where they put 3 tbsp. spoons of honey. When the honey becomes liquid and warms up a little, add 2 tablespoons of cinnamon to it. You should get a brown mixture with small grains. Let the mixture cool slightly.

Orange and cinnamon tea is ideal to warm up on frosty winter evenings.

This will require:

  • no more than two circles of orange;
  • cinnamon stick;
  • black tea (to taste).

How to use it correctly

The "adult" daily dose of the powder is half a teaspoon (it must be divided into two steps). It is necessary to give the patient a rest from this product: from time to time for several days, do not use it at all.

Sometimes the doctor advises to use cinnamon as a remedy for a course of 2 or 3 months, then the treatment is interrupted and resumed no earlier than a month later.

In cooking

The secret of cinnamon is that it is "friendly" with almost all ingredients, therefore sometimes appropriate in desserts, meat dishes... But cottage cheese with this aromatic powder, juices, fruit salads will be healthy and tasty.

It is recommended to add powder to different dishes 5-7 minutes before they are ready., then the amazing aroma is preserved, but the unpleasant bitterness that accompanies the dish, "improved" with a pinch of magic powder at the very beginning of cooking or baking, does not appear.

In this video, you will learn a recipe for making a delicious, healthy dessert with ground cinnamon:

Slimming

Why is cinnamon used in weight loss diets?

The use of ground cinnamon in cooking
True, one must bear in mind that under the influence of high temperatures, some of its wonderful qualities are lost.

The secret is that she:

  • accelerates metabolic processes, preventing the formation of fat;
  • processes sugar faster, bringing blood glucose levels back to normal;
  • slows down digestion in the stomach, keeping the feeling of fullness longer;
  • reduces a person's cravings for sweets;
  • helps to cleanse the body of toxins and toxins.

Here's how to make healthy coffee: cinnamon and coffee are poured into a Turk, poured with water, put on fire. They are removed as soon as the drink begins to boil.

For weight loss you can do body wrap... One part of warmed honey is added to three parts of cinnamon, mix and lubricate problem areas. Wrap cinnamon with honey in a film, wrap and hold for half an hour. Then they are washed off.

For the treatment of various diseases

For gastritis, ground cinnamon (half a teaspoon) is used in combination with honey. Consumed daily before meals. This tool helps to reduce acidity, relieves bloating.

The use of ground cinnamon for the treatment of diseases
For
arthritis treatment prepare a drink from a glass of water, a couple of tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of aromatic powder. Thanks to this composition, it is possible to relieve pain even in cases where the disease is neglected.
Patients with psoriasis a decoction is recommended, which is prepared as follows: a cinnamon stick is dipped into a cup of hot water, stirred. In the future, this stick is used again. The patient should drink three cups of this drink per day.

With diabetes Doctors recommend adding a teaspoon of spice to green tea leaves in a teapot. Pour hot water, but not boiling water. Drink several cups throughout the day.

These teas are good for colds, flu, headaches and toothaches.

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In cosmetology

In cosmetology, both powder and essential oil are used (but you must act with caution with it, since, due to its high concentration, it can turn out to be a strong allergen).

For inflamed skin against acne apply a mask of half a banana, sour cream (2 tablespoons), cinnamon and lemon juice. The mask is applied to the face and kept for 15 minutes.

To heal the hair follicles, a mask is prepared from spices, olive oil and honey. Having wrapped the head in a warm towel, the mask is kept on the hair for 45 minutes.

Hair growth can be stimulated with a mask, in which, in addition to spice, there will be a bulb and 4 cloves of garlic. The components are crushed and applied to the hair roots.

Like any means cinnamon can only have a healing effect with regular use... One of the most important requirements is not to exceed the consumption norms recommended by experts. The more the better principle can produce the opposite result to what was expected.

Another cooking option

Before wrapping, apply a scrub to problem areas, massaging the body. Then apply the warm mixture to your thighs, abdomen, legs and buttocks. The mass must not drain. From above you need to wrap the body with cling film, wrap in a blanket. You need to be in this position for about an hour. The treatment ends with a warm shower. After that, the skin becomes soft, the orange peel is removed. You can do the procedure every other day, you need to do 15 sessions.

We have now explained how to make cinnamon tea. But finally, I would like to highlight some recommendations for cooking:

  1. Tea should always be strained from the infusion.
  2. Black tea is brewed with boiling water, green at a temperature of 60 degrees.
  3. Lemon is added to a slightly cooled drink.
  4. Ginger is allowed to boil or steep in hot water.
  5. Honey loses its benefits at temperatures above forty degrees.
  6. A large amount of cloves in tea kills the taste of cinnamon.

Now you know how to make delicious cinnamon tea. We have told you the recipe, and more than one. Choose the one that you like. Good luck! Enjoy your tea!

History

Peoples who could watch cinnamon grow on their land often used the spice in rituals and celebrations. Today in Europe it is associated with Christmas. Its warm scent awakens everything kind and tender in the soul.

The bark is harvested at the height of the rainy season, which lasts from May to October. It peels off the tree very easily. Of all the spices, this one can be called one of the oldest, since it was it that people began to use it first.

Mentions of her can be seen in manuscripts dating back to 2800 BC. There is evidence in the Old Testament, according to which, Moses used it in an embalming mixture, since the substance has antibacterial properties. In Rome, sacred properties were attributed to this product. Nero burned a year's supply when the emperor's wife died. It is interesting that he himself took her life and wanted to appease the gods in this way, and then it was a very expensive pleasure, because at that time 350 grams of cinnamon was estimated at 5 kilograms of silver.

where does cinnamon grow

Popularity

Today this product is used all over the world. Going to a Spanish bar, you can order a tonic with gin, from which a stick of this plant will stick out. It is added to rice. Also, cinnamon can serve as a substitute for black pepper when you need to season meat dishes.

At Christmas, the French eat flavored cookies with this spice. It does not suffer from contact with other substances, but on the contrary, it organically combines with many. It is added to cardamom, coriander, pepper and cloves, matsis and bay leaves. In India, "garam oil" is produced, in other words, it is called "a mixture of warm spices."

The Chinese prefer combinations with star anise, fennel, as well as cloves, the Syrians - with paprika, cumin and coriander (the mixture is called "baharat", sprinkled with ram meat).

where the most expensive cinnamon grows

Chemical composition

Nutritional value of cinnamon (Cinnamonum verum) per 100 g.

NamenumberPercentage of the daily value,%
Energy value (calorie content)247 Kcal12
Carbohydrates50.59 g39
Protein3.99 g7
Fats1.24 g4,5
Dietary fiber53.1 g133
Folates6 μg1,5
Niacin1,332 mg8
Pantothenic acid0.358 mg7
Pyridoxine0.158 mg12
Riboflavin0.041 mg3
Thiamine0.022 mg2
Vitamin A295 IU10
Vitamin C3.8 mg6
Vitamin E10.44 mg70
Vitamin K31.2 mcg26
Sodium10 mg
Potassium431 mg9
Calcium1002 mg100
Copper0.339 mg38
Iron8.32 mg104
Magnesium60 mg15
Manganese17.466 mg759
Phosphorus64 mg9
Zinc1.83 mg17
Carotene-ß112 μg
Cryptoxanthin-ß129 μg
Lutein Zeaxanthin222 mcg
Lycopene15 mcg

Gallery: cinnamon tree (25 photos)

How to recognize a real cinnamon tree

It is worth paying attention: on the shelves of shops in our area, what is commonly called cinnamon is mainly cassia. There is a tremendous difference between these plants, and few would have guessed to conduct an experiment. And we will look at how important it is to distinguish between spices and not fall for the tricks of sellers and marketers.
People, in whose native latitudes the plant does not grow, do not even think at all: why, in fact, sell a powder called "cinnamon" in a bag, if it is not even close in the package?

Income, money, profits - this is such a simple answer. And if you delve deeper into the study of the issue, it becomes clear that it happened so historically. Real spicy cinnamon is an expensive and very popular product; there have always been connoisseurs of its piquant taste.

Among the ancient peoples, this delicacy was presented as an expensive gift only to a select few, a limited circle of people could enjoy this delicate aroma - monarchs, kings, or very wealthy strata of the population. Researchers find interesting historical facts in the works of ancient writers and sages, where this spice is glorified, and it can be concluded that sweet cinnamon was a rather exclusive product and was worth its weight in gold.

So, over time, the value of cinnamon rises so much in the world that commercial businessmen begin to grow a cinnamon tree not only in their original native territory and its natural conditions, but also in places where it is at least possible to grow something like that.

The opinion of the girls

Reviews of the beneficial properties of cinnamon in women are mostly positive. The girls say that when using cinnamon, the condition during PMS significantly improves, as well as pain during menstruation decreases. Reviews of kefir cocktails are also good. This drink is popular with girls who want to lose weight.

Mainly women who do not like the smell or taste of cinnamon, as well as those who have an individual intolerance to the spice, have a negative attitude towards the spice.

Cosmetics

The beneficial properties of cinnamon for women were also noticed by cosmetologists. After all, it has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and tonic effects. Due to this, the spice is often used in the preparation of masks, creams and other cosmetics.

Moreover, such preparations are suitable not only for the skin, but also for the hair. It is worth knowing that cinnamon oil is great for combating such an unpleasant phenomenon as cellulite. It is used as one of the components for anti-cellulite wraps.

Botanical description


Chinese Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia)

The name of the spice comes from the Malay "kayumanis", which means "sweet tree". Several species are used under the name "cinnamon", therefore, the distribution around the globe is quite extensive. But still, the main center of origin of the genus Cinnamomum is generally considered to be Southeast Asia, India and the Pacific Islands. Cinnamon is an evergreen tree and shrub from the Laurel family with thick bark, bright green leathery leaves and small white flowers.

The most valuable raw material gives ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum ceylanicum Blume). This is an evergreen tree or, in culture, a shrub. Branches are cylindrical, triangular to the apex, with opposite leaves, on short petioles. Leaves are oval, bluntly or shortly pointed, leathery, with 3-7 main veins.

Natural habitats of Ceylon cinnamon - Sri Lanka, South India, Burma, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Madagascar, Reunion, etc.

Along with Ceylon cinnamon, they use cinnamon chinese (Cinnamomum cassia (L.) C.Presl.), Found only in culture - in southern China, Brazil, Madagascar, etc. Chinese cinnamon is an evergreen tree up to 15 m tall. The lower leaves are alternate, the upper leaves are opposite, drooping, on short petioles. The leaves are broadly oval, whole-edged, leathery, shiny green on the upper side, with deepened main veins, bluish-green on the lower side, covered with short soft hairs. The flowers, collected in paniculate inflorescences, are small, yellowish-white, with a simple separate-petalled pericarp. The fruit is a berry.

How much to drink tea with honey and cinnamon

The optimal consumption of tea is 2-3 glasses. Cinnamon helps in the production of gastric juice, if you take more tea, you can get gastritis.

It is effective to take tea with spices and do wraps in parallel. This will help fight fat from the outside and from the inside. Until the next intake, tea should be stored in the refrigerator, but you should not warm up the drink so that the beneficial properties of honey do not evaporate.

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