Typically during the fall and winter seasons we start to stock up on cinnamon, enjoying it in a variety of foods and drinks from cookies to pumpkin spice lattes. But for the rest of the year, it goes back into hibernation. Before you retire your supply after the New Year, consider these top facts about cinnamon that may just compel you to keep it constantly on rotation.

#1: Fat Burning

I know, you see those pop-up ads all over the Internet: eat this fat-burning fruit! Take this herb and watch the pounds melt away! And while I believe that no single food or supplement could ever do any of those things, I do think that once we’ve established regular healthy habits (you know them- exercise, eating right for your unique self), we can start to fine tune and incorporate some powerful, effective foods that can accelerate our efforts.

I recently came across a study from the University of Michigan that claimed cinnamon ‘turns up the heat on fat cells’. In it, scientists were studying a compound in cinnamon known as cinnamaldehyde that, in mice, helped to protect against obesity. They soon learned that cinnamaldehyde acted directly on fall cells and caused them to burn energy (in a process called thermogenesis). This led them to see if cinnamon-induced thermogenesis could happen in human fat cells as well. What they found was that the compound had activated specific genes, enzymes, and proteins that could enhance the breakdown of fat.

While the researchers caution that further study needs to be performed (and that we shouldn’t go pouring cinnamon by the bucket-loads over our food), it does offer some promising potential when it comes to maintaining our weight. [1]

#2: Blood Sugar Balance

This fact is better known amongst low-carb eaters. But it bears repeating. When our blood sugar constantly spikes and remains in abnormally high levels, it opens the door towards serious medical problems like diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and even nerve damage. [2] People at risk for blood sugar imbalances, or those who already are dealing with them, would do well to pay attention to the foods they eat. One way to keep them under control is eating, or supplementing, with cinnamon during meals. While the research continues to dissect the mechanisms behind this, it’s believed that cinnamon lowers blood sugar by slowing down the rate that food empties out of the stomach, blocking carb-based enzymes, and increasing insulin sensitivity (making it easier for insulin to move blood sugar into cells). There currently aren’t any recommendations for the amount of cinnamon you need to take to experience these effects, but the studies used somewhere between 1 to 6 grams either in supplement or powdered form (about 1.2 teaspoons for 6 grams). [3]

#3: Antioxidant

Everyday, our body is bombarded by a variety of stress, whether it’s mental, physical (exercise, injury, aging), nutritional (intolerances, poor quality or processed foods), or environmental (cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, radiation, pollution, even prolonged exposure to sunlight). All of these things contribute to what is known as oxidation, which is when highly unstable molecules (free radicals) run amok and cause damage on our cells. [4] What we can do to fight back and even reverse some of the effects of free radicals is eat an antioxidant-rich diet, which includes foods like blueberries, spinach, green tea, sweet potatoes, and, yes, cinnamon. [5] In one study, cinnamon was shown to contain the second highest amount of antioxidants (next to cloves) when compared to 26 different spices and herbs! [6] Some of its antioxidants include polyphenols, which also help to lower inflammation. [7] So if you’re looking for an easy-to-find spice that’s anti-aging, delicious, and effective, look no further than cinnamon!

How to Use Cinnamon

If you’re not sure how to incorporate cinnamon into your diet, here’s a couple of ways I like to consume it:

Breakfast: Cinnamon Granola With Banana Topping (WEM)

Smoothies: Coconut Cinnamon Berry Smoothie With Fat Burner (FM)

Snacks… Cinnamon Orange (FM)

Meals: Cauliflower Tacos (WEM)

Desserts: Low Carb Cinnamon Coffee Cake (FM)

Sources:

[1] http://ns.umich.edu/new/releases/25273-cinnamon-turns-up-the-heat-on-fat-cells

[2] http://clinical.diabetesjournals.org/content/26/2/77

[3] http://clinical.diabetesjournals.org/content/26/2/77

[4] http://news.psu.edu/story/141171/2008/08/18/research/probing-question-how-do-antioxidants-work

[5] https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/10-super-foods

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16190627

[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10077878