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Does cinnamon purify the air?

The known benefits of cinnamon are numerous. It's known to be anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory. As such, in addition to adding it to the diet, the essential oil of cinnamon can be used in a diffuser - alone or in combination - to help naturally purify the air.

bradfordtoday.ca - Cinnamon: do you have the right one? - Bradford News

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This week, columnist Nonie De Long continues from a question asked last week and looks at cinnamon

Dear readers,

This week’s column is a continuation of a question from a reader last week - Josee from Bradford. He wrote in asking about which collagen is better and how to identify good quality cinnamon. Last week I addressed collagen supplements (you can read that here) and this week I’ll go over what we know about cinnamon and how you can incorporate it in your regular diet for its various health benefits. It’s true that not all cinnamon is equal in terms of health benefit. When we read suggestions to incorporate this spice to boost our health - for blood sugar regulation namely - we want to make sure we get the best product possible for the job. So let’s do a deep dive on the different types of cinnamon on the market and what differentiates them. Cinnamon is actually a type of tree with different species within the genus, properly called Cinnamomum. It’s from the Lauraceae (Laurel) family, which mostly grow in the tropical forests in Southeast Asian and Central and South America. Many members of the species are used as spices or medicines or foods, as the leaves, stems, and roots are almost all aromatic. For example, camphor oil is actually a distillate from the leaves and twigs and bark of the Cinnamomum camphora. The same family of trees produces many other spices/foods we use, including bay leaf, sassafras (root beer flavouring), and avocado. There are two main varieties of cinnamon: the Ceylon (Cinnamon zeylanicum) and Cassia (Cinnamon aromaticum). Ceylon is considered true cinnamon, and is now cultivated more in Sri Lanka and Seychelles, as well as Ceylon. You can discern true cinnamon because it looks like a stick curled in on itself, made of multiple layers like phyllo pastry. It’s golden brown in colour, very aromatic, and breaks into pieces easily, making it easy to grind at home. On the other hand, Cassia cinnamon is mostly grown in China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The sticks are more of a reddish brown, less aromatic, and difficult to break into pieces. You don’t want to put this one in your home grinder. If it doesn’t sound like it’s breaking the grinder it;s probably already broken it! This is the cinnamon we typically find on our supermarket shelves, and it’s known to have a much higher content of a compound called coumarin, which can be unhealthy if consumed in high quantities over long periods of time. It’s best to source the true Ceylon cinnamon if you can. Once you try both you will recognize the difference! What we purchase as cinnamon comes from the bark of young trees that is stripped off and dried. The benefits of cinnamon seem to be higher for Ceylon, but there are still studies done on Cassia cinnamon, showing results for blood sugar. So if you have the lesser one it still has benefit. Just not as much.

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The known benefits of cinnamon are numerous. It’s known to be anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory. As such, in addition to adding it to the diet, the essential oil of cinnamon can be used in a diffuser - alone or in combination - to help naturally purify the air. This is much safer than commercial scents that can disrupt hormones in the body. If you want to try an amazing air purifying oil containing cinnamon, try Thieves essential oil blend. Cinnamon is most commonly known for its ability to stimulate insulin normalcy, to help lower blood sugar. It may also help with satiety. Diabetics can benefit from adding it to their drinks and meals or from taking it in supplemental form. But it’s important to watch blood sugar levels with any trial of herbs or different foods. Depending on how much a person consumes, it could impact the need for medication. In Western herbalism, Cinnamon is used as a diaphoretic. These herbs are typically ones we drink in hot beverages to stimulate internal heat and move energy, causing sweating, raising the body’s innate defenses, and releasing toxins. Typically this is taken at the onset of any bacterial or viral infection to summon the body’s immune response. I once asked a medical herbalist and my instructor at the time, what her first response to being bitten by a tic would be. She replied, “I’d use a diaphoretic.” But that doesn’t capture all of the medicinal properties of this amazing spice. It’s warming - it creates heat and moves energy. This helps with issues of circulatory and digestive stagnation, compounded because it can thin the blood slightly. It’s also known to boost cognitive function and digestion, likely owing to the anti-inflammatory compounds in it and the way it stimulates circulation. As such, it can be used topically for circulation, too. For neuropathy the essential oil can be mixed with a carrier oil or cream and applied directly to the affected area. In Chinese herbal medicine cinnamon is used extensively, differentiating between different parts of the plant. One of the major uses is poor circulation, as with someone who has cold feet and hands. It’s also used for inflammatory conditions and rheumatoid arthritis, as it helps with inflammation while stimulating circulation and moving toxins out. In Ayurvedic medicine, cinnamon is a Pitta increasing herb. It helps balance a cold, sluggish constitution if taken daily. It’s also used to boost a sluggish metabolism and help the absorption of nutrients from food and medicines. As with all herbs, it works most brilliantly paired with other herbs that work synergistically alongside it. In short, you want this spice in your home and you want to know how to use it for health.

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Some of the ways you can use cinnamon are:

Cut up an apple as a snack and serve it with cinnamon swirl yogurt, sweetened at home with monkfruit or a natural sweetener like whole earth My favourite recipe, by far, for using cinnamon is a homemade chai tea. This recipe for Chai was passed on to me by a friend from Pakistan. It’s nothing like the watery teabag stuff you get here or the sickly sweet beverage passed off by specialty coffee retailers. I have changed it over the years to incorporate coconut milk as opposed to dairy milk - with rave reviews - but you can use either. As opposed to steeping the tea then adding milk, I was taught to bring the two with the teabags to a boil, then allow them to simmer to reduce the water and infuse the tea with the herbs and sweetener you choose. This is how I do it: Two parts water to one part coconut milk (60-70 per cent coconut extract) or whole milk

Black tea (I prefer loose)

Sweetener to taste, not too much as it gets sweeter as you go - so go light and adjust at the end. I like a mixture of true earth and palm sugar.

Bits of cinnamon stick broken up

Dash of whole cloves

One bay leaf

Some green cardamom pods (maybe three)

Small bit of dried fennel (optional)

(you can also add star anise, fresh ginger, or allspice if you like) Bring the tea to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer to steep. It can simmer short or long, but the longer it goes the stronger and thicker it gets. When you like it adjust the sweetness and remove from the heat. Do not squeeze the tea bags, as this results in a bitter flavour. Traditionally, it’s served piping hot. Serve it by straining out the herbs and tea and pouring into a mug. Adjust the sweetness as needed. I have not met a person yet who doesn’t love it! Thank you Josee, for writing in. As always if readers have their own question they can reach me at nonienutritionist@gmail.com. For more health information or 1:1 help readers can find me at askthenutritionist.ca. Until next week!

Namaste!

Nonie Nutritionista

bradfordtoday.ca - Cinnamon: do you have the right one? - Bradford News

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