Cinnamon And Heart Health - What's The Connection Between This Tasty Spice And Heart Health?

By Cindy Amorin

Is there a connection between cinnamon and heart health? Indeed, heart disease is the number one killer in the United States and many people are looking for preventive strategies to "stave" off cardiovascular disease. As such, there has been an explosion of interest in wanting to learn more about cinnamon and heart health.

Indeed, cinnamon is most known as one that has ability to destroy fungal infections, prevent ulcers, soothe indigestion, and fight tooth decay and gum disease.

So, what's the connection between cinnamon and heart health? Before we delve into what might possibly be the connection between these two, let's go over the controllable risk factors of heart disease.

• High LDL "bad" cholesterol.
• Low HDL "good" cholesterol.
• Diabetes.
• High blood pressure.
• Tobacco.
• Lack of exercise.
• Unhealthy nutrition.
• Overweight/Obesity.
• Heavy alcohol intake.
• Stress.

Now, without further adieu, let's discuss what might be a possible connection between cinnamon and heart health.

In recent years, some studies have shown that this aromatic and tasty spice supports healthy blood sugar levels, which may be helpful for type 2 diabetes sufferers. In addition, cinnamon has shown to improve cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes. As such, the connection here between cinnamon and heart health is that diabetes and cholesterol are risk factors of heart disease.

According to a study published in the December issue of Diabetes Care (Diabetes Care 26:3215-3218, 2003) who states:

"In conclusion, cinnamon reduced serum glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Because cinnamon would not contribute to caloric intake, those who have type 2 diabetes or those who have elevated glucose, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, or total cholesterol levels may benefit from the regular inclusion of cinnamon in their daily diet. In addition, cinnamon may be beneficial for the remainder of the population to prevent and control elevated glucose and blood lipid levels."

It's important to note that although the studies are indeed interesting, more studies are needed to prove cinnamon's effectiveness in treating diabetes. On the other hand, it doesn't hurt to use more of this spice in your diet. However, keep in mind that the amounts of cinnamon used to provide the glucose and cholesterol benefits was much larger than what is typically used in cooking and seasoning.

For example, the aforementioned study involved six groups. "Groups 1, 2, and 3 consumed 1, 3, or 6 g of cinnamon daily, respectively, and groups 4, 5, and 6 were given placebo capsules corresponding to the number of capsules consumed for the three levels of cinnamon. The cinnamon was consumed for 40 days followed by a 20-day washout period." ((Diabetes Care 26:3215-3218, 2003 Study.)

Is there any other intriguing possible connection between cinnamon and heart health?

In fact, there actually is another intriguing possibility in regards to cinnamon and heart health. If you suffer from high blood pressure, it wouldn't hurt for you to use more of this spice as Japanese researchers report that cinnamon helps to reduce blood pressure.

Cindy Amorin is the chief editor of Nutritional-Supplement-Educational-Centre.com, an information-rich site that discusses nutritional, dietary, and herbal supplements and their potential therapeutic value. She is the editor of womens and mens heart health, a section of Nutritional-Supplement-Educational-Centre discussing preventive heart health strategies, dietary supplements, and tips on how to buy a quality supplements. She is also the editor of cinnamon health benefits.