In Our Kitchen: Ingredients: Cinnamon

Nothing says the holidays better than cinnamon. When you catch a whiff of this fragrant spice, you are instantly transported to a holiday wonderland. It was the spice of nobility and gods of old and now it is a spice that no kitchen should be without.

It is most commonly used and recognized in its powdered form but it is actually a bark from an evergreen tree native to Sri Lanka, Cinnamomum verum. This spice is widely used in baking here in the west. In the east, it is not uncommon to use cinnamon in savory dishes like the beef rendang we cooked up recently.

10 Benefits of Cinnamon:

Lowers LDL Cholesterol
Good for Diabetes - helps regulate blood sugar levels
Yeast Infections - stops some medication resistant strains
Reduces Cancer Cells - studies show cinnamon to reduce the growth of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells
Relieves Indigestion - a dash of cinnamon powder with two tablespoons of honey taken before eating relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals
Anti-coagulant - prevents blood from clotting
Pain Relief - some studies have shown that cinnamon combined with honey relieved some arthritis pain
Food Preservative - cinnamon inhibits bacterial growth
Improves Cognitive Function and Memory - the scent of cinnamon is said to awaken the senses
Resists E.Coli - some studies have shown that cinnamon is resistant to the e. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices
Source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium