Cinnamon is one of the world’s oldest spices, that imparts a magnificent aroma to a wide variety of foods. But, besides its great taste and smell, cinnamon is also considered to have quite a variety of healing properties too. Many of its benefits derive from the spice’s antifungal, antibacterial and antioxidant prowess. You can smell it, ingest it, or apply it, either way, the health benefits of cinnamon are more than skin deep. These top 14 tips will get you going, and in the process, you may also be surprised to discover that this great spice has all kinds of ingenious uses too!
1. Use it Boost your Brain Power: Studies show that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory. It is the perfect spice to use when you are feeling out of focus. Carry a stick around with you and take a whiff every now and then. Alternatively, every morning, add a couple of dashes to your coffee or cereal – this will start your day off on a good note and will help you stay more focused and alert.
2. Enhance the Aroma in your Home – Use it in Potpourri: Sprinkle a couple of drops of cinnamon essential oil atop dry potpourri and place it in a small bowl, preferably somewhere that gets good ventilation – allowing the aroma to spread in the kitchen, near doorways , or atop the radiator. The room will carry with it a subtle hint of cinnamon, providing you with some year-round comfort.
3. Use it to Repel Moths: Break 3 to 4 cinnamon sticks and combine them with 1/2 cup of whole cloves and 1/2 cup whole black peppercorns. Fill sachets with 1 tablespoon of the mixture and toss the sachets in your underwear drawer or hang them in your closets.
4. Use it to Promote Weight Loss: Due to cinnamon’s effectiveness in reducing insulin resistance, shows that cinnamon triples insulin’s capacity to metabolize blood sugar. Therefore, the spice can reduce hunger and sugar cravings – leading to weight loss.
5. Use it to Boost your Circulation: One of the health benefits of cinnamon is that it can be used to thin the blood, which in turn increases circulation throughout the body. This helps to reduce pain in troubled areas as well as supply oxygen to the blood cells. It is also a great dietary complement for heart attack survivors.
6. Use it to Treat Bladder Infections: Consuming cinnamon will reduce (or help you avoid) urinary tract infections and bladder infections. Cinnamon packs an anti-bacterial and antifungal punch, and it is also a diuretic, contributing to urinary discharge.
7. Use it to Treat Insect Bites: To help alleviate the pain and itching of an insect bite, apply a mixture of cinnamon and honey. The duo will disinfect the infected area, moisturize the skin and heal it.
8. Use it to Relieve Cold and Flu: This use of cinnamon is pretty well known, especially across East Asia and Europe. To treat a cold or flu, it is usually combined with ginger.
9. Use it to Sooth Stomach Pain: To relieve a stomachache, combine honey and cinnamon. These two ingredients are packed with antifungal and antibacterial properties, helping to treat ulcers, as well as reducing gas in the stomach.
10. Use it to Prevent Food from Spoiling: Adding cinnamon helps to prevent the spoiling of food. It does so by delaying bacterial growth.
Ref: Aylin Erman of EcoSalon
