Thursday, December 8, 2016

BioHack Your Diet With Cinnamon - How to Wisely Choose Your Cinnamon

Cinnamon is my personal favorite biohack! It is so easy to do something really good for myself, as long as I choose my Cinnamon wisely.

Not all cinnamon is the same, here's why; Coumarin is an aromatic compound found naturally in many plants. Its main source in food is cinnamon. In Europe and the United States, Chinese cassia (cinnamomum cassia) is the most common type of cinnamon used, and it contains large quantities of coumarin.
It is only the more rare, more expensive Ceylon Cinnamon Powder (cinnamomum zeylanicum), which is very good for controlling blood sugar, that contains very little coumarin. This is important because coumarin can be toxic to the liver (hepatotoxic). In 2004 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) set a tolerable daily intake for coumarin at 0.1 mg per one kilo of body weight per day. So the regular liberal use of non-ceylon cinnamon, such as you’d find at Starbucks, is not recommended.

My favorite choice is easy to get from Amazon,

                                                                                                       
Ceylon Cinnamon Powder

These are some GREAT reasons to add
cinnamon to your diet,

1. Regulates Blood Sugar; Research suggests that cinnamon could provide a helpful assist to folks with type 2 diabetes if used in conjunction with regular treatment, healthy eating, and an exercise plan. In addition, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a teaspoon of cinnamon helped tame blood sugar in people without diabetes.
Cinnamon’s reduction on blood sugar should lead to reduced sugar cravings, which is a plus for anyone hoping to lose weight. To start your day right, add cinnamon and a splash of milk to your morning coffee in place of the sugar and artificial creamer. Your waistline will thank you, and it is incredibly delicious, promise!

2. Calm Your Stomach AND Boost Immunity; Cinnamon has been used as a cold remedy and digestive aid throughout history. It can provide relief from indigestion, flatulence, heartburn, stomach cramps, and other digestive problems that make you say, “ew.”
Do bear in mind that eating a Cinnabon won’t exactly do much to help you , quite the opposite, but you could drop a stick of cinnamon in a hot cup of herbal tea to calm your stomach and boost your immunity from sickness.

3.  Increased Focus, Energy and Alertness; Several studies have shown that the invigorating scent of cinnamon oil provides a powerful boost to brain power that increases energy, focus, and alertness. Also, research presented by the Association for Chemoreception Sciences in 2004 found that chewing cinnamon flavored gum boosted the concentration of study participants. A USDA study found that cinnamon can prevent swelling of the brain and it is theorized that cinnamon could prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

4.  Soothe Your Sore Muscles; A study published in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine took a look at the potential healing powers of cinnamon and ginger by observing how these spices affected women who competed in the martial arts. Study participants were divided into three groups, with one group receiving three grams of powdered ginger per day, the second receiving three grams of powdered cinnamon per day, and the last group receiving a placebo powder. Both the ginger and cinnamon groups experienced decreased muscle soreness that was significant in comparison to the placebo group, making it clear that cinnamon can help you recover from exercise training.

5.  Fewer Bugs Bite You; A 2004 study in Taiwan found that cinnamon oil kills mosquito hatchlings. It isn’t yet known whether cinnamon also repels bugs or not, but if you’ve got a bug problem, use cinnamon for an environmentally friendly poison to rid yourself of the bugs that make you itch.

6. Shiny Teeth, Healthy Mouth; Have you ever noticed that gums, toothpastes, breath-mints, and mouthwashes typically have a cinnamon flavor? Although this is due in part to the simple fact that cinnamon is quite delicious, there’s more to the story: cinnamon gets rid of harmful bacteria in your mouth, preventing tooth decay and gum disease.