Cinnamon for Weight Loss: Fact or Fiction?
Read Time: 2min 48 sec
Cinnamon is one of the most common household spices in most kitchen cabinets. Cinnamon sticks remind me of tightly rolled scrolls filled with a warm, sweet fragrance. Most of the Cinnamon is harvested from the trees in the Asian countries of Sri Lanka, China, Vietnam, and Burma. The sticks are harvested from the evergreen trees' inner bark and dried in the sun.
Tell me more, does cinnamon aid in weight loss?
Well, there has been a study on mice ( again, we are not mice ) that observed sprinkling cinnamaldehyde (a chemical that gives the taste to cinnamon) on the fat cells in the lab; there was an increase in the expression of the genes and protein in these cells that help with fat burning and lipid metabolism. This has been observed by other research studies that mice that received cinnamaldehyde had less weight gain.
So you wonder whether cinnamon has any other benefits?
Sure it does; it can help with improving fasting plasma glucose. But it did not show improvement with the A1c. A1c is a measure of a more extended period of blood glucose. Nevertheless, annals of Family published an observation on cinnamon consumption after a systematic review of 10 clinical trials, noting cinnamon improved fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL ( L is for lousy/ bad cholesterol ), and high HDL (good cholesterol ) in diabetes type 2.
A teaspoonful of cinnamon has approximately 1.38 gms of fiber. Therefore, cinnamon can make you feel fuller (due to the fiber ). And cinnamon also slows down the rate at which food moves through your stomach, which means you'll feel full for longer and won't be as tempted to snack between meals.
But before you start loading up on cinnamon, there are some things to keep in mind. First, cinnamon is not the magic pill. I recommend not spending a large amount of money on cinnamon supplements. Instead, sprinkle it on your coffee, and put it on oatmeal. Of course, the other problem with the daily use of cinnamon is it is found in many unhealthy foods, such as cinnamon rolls, pies, bread, and cookies. So be cautious about buying foods high in carbohydrates with cinnamon because there is not enough cinnamon to burn the fat you will accumulate from consuming it.
Second, make sure you're using high-quality cinnamon. There are two main types of cinnamon – Ceylon and Cassia. Ceylon cinnamon is considered the "true" cinnamon and is generally safer to consume in large quantities. Ceylon cinnamon is not the usual store-brand cinnamon. Cassia Cinnamon is thought to have a toxin called coumarin. But you would have to consume a large large large amount of cassia cinnamon for it to be toxic to you.
So how much cinnamon should one have as a daily intake?
Cinnamon in doses of 2 gm- 3 gms ( ground ~ 1 teaspoonful) were noted to have the most benefits. Finding ways to incorporate cinnamon in daily uses, such as replacing the sugar in coffee, provides sweetness and adds fiber.
Though it would be unlikely you can overdose on spices such as cinnamon, I would not recommend eating more significant amounts than 3 gms a day.
So, wrapping the cinnamon discussion with weight loss, do it or not? It may help boost weight loss in the weight loss journey with the qualities cinnamon has. It is easily accessible in most kitchen cabinets, so if you sprinkle it on the right kinds of food, it may give you the extra kick you need (pun intended) with your weight loss as of being easily accessible in most kitchen cabinets and when you sprinkle it on the right kinds of food. But, of course, do it cautiously, with a balanced diet and exercise and limiting the amount of cinnamon intake. And maybe you will be sitting in your doctor's office, discussing how great your lab results are due to the lack of snacking and sugar in your life, thanks to spicy cinnamon.
If you feel it is sweet enough to replace the sugar in your life with cinnamon, you might lose weight by cutting one teaspoonful of sugar at a time.
