While you might think of cinnamon as an ingredient in many sweet treats, it actually has a long history of use in medicine. The type of cinnamon used medicinally originated in China and is now grown in other parts of Asia. Its benefits come from the bark, rich in essential oils. If you take cinnamon extract in liquid form, be sure you take the extract and not pure cinnamon oil, which is not appropriate for ingestion. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, or MSKCC, notes that studies have shown cinnamon extract contains anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant and immune-stimulating properties. Use caution with cinnamon if you take blood-thinning or blood-sugar lowering medications or have a hormone-sensitive disease such as breast cancer.
Diabetes
Cinnamon might help manage diabetes. Research indicates it imitates the action of insulin, helping move glucose, or blood sugar, into the cells. MayoClinic.com notes a 2009 study that found type 2 diabetic patients who took cinnamon for twice a day for three months experienced a drop in blood sugar levels. Using blood-sugar lowering herbs in conjunction with medications for the same purpose can cause a negative effect; do so only under supervision of your doctor.
