Cinnamon twig and bark are both used often in Chinese Medicine. Cinnamon warms the yang and moves heat that is trapped in the body’s interior out to the extremities. It is also used to eliminate common cold symptoms if more cold is present than heat. Cinnamon has a strong anti-allergenic affect and also enhances cognitive function by improving gut chemistry. Vietnamese cinnamon is considered the highest in quality. While Traditional Chinese Medicine makes a distinction in the actions of the cinnamon twig and bark, Classical (older) Chinese Medicine uses them interchangeably. Check out the article below regarding modern research on cinnamon and its ability to regulate blood sugar.
Cinnamon Helps Reduce Blood Glucose
Cinnamon is known as a wonder spice as it can astoundingly raise body’s temperature, increasing metabolism and burning more calories. In addition,cinnamon balances the blood sugar levels, thus amazing popular spice among diabetics.
A new study shows evidence that cinnamon helps reduce blood glucose levels after eating, according to the most recent Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Researchers at Ball State University in United States found that the addition of 6 grams of cinnamon (about 2.5 teaspoons) to hot farina cereal reduced blood glucose concentration by 24% during a two-hour period after eating.
For the randomized crossover study, 30 men and women ages 18 to 30 years were given one of two test meals: plain hot cereal or hot cereal with cinnamon. Participants were tested two times, receiving each breakfast once. Blood samples were taken seven times over a two-hour period after the start of the meal. The addition of cinnamon to the cereal helped to flatten the glycemic response and reduce fluctuations in blood glucose in both the normal weight and obese study participants during the time following the meal.
Critical questions for future research, the authors wrote, are whether the reduction of blood glucose is maintained with long-term cinnamon supplementation and, if so, whether the reduction can delay or prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. They concluded that cinnamon “may offer nutrition and dietetics practitioners and their clients a unique botanical-based preventive approach to modify blood glucose.”
Source: cdapress.com
