Things you probably didn't know about
published:
Saturday | September 6, 2008
Heather Little-White, Contributor
Cinnamon rolls and buns are long-time favourites.
Cinnamon
You may be wondering what a spice that has long been associated with the kitchen has to do with promoting good health. Cinnamon (Cinnamon verum) has played an important role in medicinal healing and as a culinary spice.
The Bible makes reference to the use of aromatic cinnamon in Proverbs 7:17-18 where the lover's bed is perfumed with aloe, myrrh and cinnamon. In Songs of Solomon 4:14, the author describes the beauty of his beloved, cinnamon scenting her garments like the smell of Lebanon.
Cinnamon was used in Egypt as an embalming agent, a product that was considered more precious than gold. Its warming qualities made cinnamon essential to traditional Chinese medicine and its energy-based medical systems.
As its popularity grew, mediaeval Europe heavily relied on cinnamon. It was a product in great demand and became one of the first commodities traded regularly between the Near East and Europe.
Diabetics
Type Two diabetics will be happy to know that cinnamon may significantly improve their ability to respond to insulin, normalising their blood-sugar levels. Studies are currently under way by the United States Agricultural Research Service to demonstrate that less than half a teaspoon per day of cinnamon reduces blood-sugar levels in persons with Type Two diabetes. Several persons in Jamaica have already experienced the benefits of reduced blood-sugar levels by using cinnamon.
Some persons question the toxicity of regular use of cinnamon. However, results of a study published in the December 2003 issue of Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice reported that cinnamon enhanced muscle cells for better insulin utility.
Another study reported in the January 28, 2004 issue of the same magazine that including cinnamon in the diet of Type Two diabetics will see a reduction in blood-sugar levels, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and other risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Anti-inflammatory
Cinnamon is also known for aiding clotting of blood platelets through cinnamaldehyde. This product helps to prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets, important in emergency injuries when bleeding should stop. Cinnamaldehyde works by inhibiting the release of an anti-inflammatory fatty acid called arachidonic acid from platelet membranes. This process is also anti-inflammatory, which renders cinnamon an anti-inflammatory food.
Cinnamon is a powerful, natural antioxidant when compared to other antioxidant spices such as anise, ginger, liquorice, mint, nutmeg and vanilla. When compared with chemical food preservatives (BHA, BHT and propyl gallate), cinnamon was found to prevent oxidation more effectively than other spices, except mint and chemical antioxidants.
Memory booster?
Have you ever wondered why you feel so good after smelling cinnamon bun being baked? There is much to say about the odour of this spice in boosting brain activity. Research has shown that chewing cinnamon-flavoured gum or just smelling cinnamon-enhanced products improved brain function improving attention span, visual-motor speed and memory.
Iron, calcium and the trace mineral manganese are also found in cinnamon. It is also a good source of dietary fibre. When calcium and fibre combine, they bind bile salts and remove them from the body. Bile salts, if not removed from the body, can damage colon cells, increasing the risk of colon cancer. Fibre in cinnamon may provide relief from constipation or diarrhoea experienced by sufferers of irritable bowel syndrome.
Healthy meals
As a culinary treat, cinnamon can provide quick, healthy twist to meals such as cinnamon toast or honey and cinnamon on wholewheat toast. A deliciously warming beverage is cinnamon sticks simmered in soy milk.
Adding cinnamon to entrees such as lamb for a Middle Eastern-inspired meal is a memorable departure from regular recipes. Adding cinnamon to curries kicks it up a notch.
Cinnamon is an excellent spice with great healing properties widely used in Eastern and Western herbalism. It is equally important to culinary creations across most cultures. Cinnamon is a spice that should be truly treasured!
Heather Little-White, PhD, is a nutrition and lifestyle consultant in the Corporate Area. Send comments to saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com or fax 922-6223.
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Ceylon, China connection
The fragrant, sweet, warm taste of cinnamon that persons have come to love so much comes from the brown bark of the cinnamon tree. It is produced in a dried, tubular form known as quill (cinnamon sticks) or is readily available as ground powder. The varieties are Ceylon and Chinese; Ceylon is slightly sweeter, more refined and difficult to find in local markets. Ceylon cinnamon is produced in Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Brazil and the Caribbean.
The Chinese variety, more popular in North America, is known as cassia and is less expensive than the Ceylon variety. The Chinese variety is produced mainly in China, Vietnam and Indonesia.
It is the essential oils of the bark of the cinnamon tree that give cinnamon its unique healing abilities. The oils contain active compounds such as cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate and cinnamyl alcohol, among other volatile substances.
These oils qualify the spice as an antimicrobial food. Research has shown that it has the ability to stop the growth of bacteria and fungi, including the problematic yeast candida. The International Journal of Food Microbiology (August 2003) reported that the antimicrobial properties of cinnamon are so effective that it has been used as an alternative to traditional food preservatives.
One of the tasty desserts during last year's Gleaner-sponsored Kingston Restaurant Week was apples flavoured with cinnamon, vanilla and brown sugar, sprinkled with crisp oatmeal crumbles, and topped with vanilla ice cream and hot caramel. One word - yum! - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
Cinnamon is popular in Sri Lanka but also grown in the West Indies. You can use both the leaves and the bark for flavouring. It complements desserts, chocolates, spicy candies and liqueurs.- Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer
