The benefits of Cinnamon, myth or reality?
If there is one of the most popular spices in the world, it is Cinnamon. It is found in many dishes, drinks, desserts and pastries. It is also a seasonal spice, it comes back in force every winter, to be found in cakes, biscuits and gingerbread and even sometimes in decoration of our Christmas tables!
Since humans began consuming spices, they quickly learned that most of them could be beneficial for their body and that some could be included in their pharmacopoeia. Cinnamon has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine (Indian medicine) to treat respiratory and digestive problems.
Today there are hundreds of scientific studies on this subject. Most of them demonstrate the benefits of Cinnamon for our health. So what is really happening today?
Health claims about cinnamon can be found almost everywhere on websites. They become legion. But what is accepted and proven? What tends to be or is not at all?
Coumarin in Ceylon Cinnamon or Broken Cinnamon?
There are two cinnamons sold mainly on the world market: Ceylon Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum ) and Cassia Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum Cassia ), of which there are different similar cultivars Saigon Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum C. loureiroi ) and Indonesian Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum burmannii) . The latter two have similar characteristics to Chinese Cassia Cinnamon.
Cassia Cinnamon contains relatively high concentrations of coumarin, a natural organic compound which could ultimately be harmful to the liver. Cassia Cinnamon has a much higher concentration of coumarin than Ceylon Cinnamon (20 to 70 times). However, these differences depend on the terroir, the climate, the harvest, the storage of this Cinnamon. It is difficult to have stabilized data.
This is why according to scientific studies the results are not the same. We observe a large variation in the toxicity of coumarin or not. Finally, it should be added that this possible toxicity of coumarin is not triggered by excessive , regular and permanent consumption .
Ceylon Cinnamon, rarer, is the one that is best suited for health due to its much lower coumarin level. In addition, it is much more subtle, sweeter, more delicate than Cassa Cinnamon. In the absence of tangible evidence as to the toxicity of coumarin from Cinnamon, without hesitation prefer Ceylon Cinnamon.
Diabetes, Cholesterol and Anderson's Apple Pie
Dr. Richard Anderson (Human Nutrition Research Center of the US Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, Maryland ) in 2003 carried out various studies on common foods and their influences on blood sugar, the glucose content in the blood. While studying the effects of cinnamon apple pie, one of America's favorite desserts, Dr. Anderson expected to see adverse results. But curiously the results went in the other direction!
Sugars and starches in food are broken down into glucose. This glucose then circulates in the blood and will therefore give the blood sugar level. Insulin allows cells to absorb glucose, which is then used as an energy source or transformed into fat.
People with type 1 diabetes do not produce enough insulin. People with type 2 diabetes secrete insulin, but this hormone regulates their blood sugar levels less effectively. (This type of diabetes is the more common than the first and mainly affects people over 40 years old) Even apparently healthy people, especially if they are overweight, sedentary or over 25 years old, lose their sensitivity to insulin. Too high a blood glucose level can cause serious long-term damage.
But back to our pie, why is this cinnamon apple pie interesting to scientists? What surprising results were discovered?
Cinnamon, a gift of imitation
Dr. Richard Anderson therefore took a closer look at the various ingredients of this pie. Knowing the effects of known ingredients (sugar, butter, dough, wheat, apples), he became interested in added cinnamon. It turns out that cinnamon contains a water-soluble polyphenolic compound called MHCP. A somewhat scientific and barbaric name, I grant you, but which can be summed up as an “imitator” compound. This famous MHCP simply imitates insulin, activates its receptor and acts in synergy with insulin in the cells. .
Half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day significantly reduces blood sugar levels in diabetics, according to a new study. The effect, which can be produced even by steeping a cinnamon stick in your tea, could also benefit millions of non-diabetics who have a blood sugar problem but don't know it. Alam Khan, who was a postdoctoral fellow in Anderson's laboratory, organized a study in Pakistan. Volunteers with type 2 diabetes received one, three or six grams of cinnamon powder daily after meals. After a few weeks, all had glucose levels lower on average than 20% of the control group. As soon as the cinnamon treatment was stopped, blood sugar levels increased immediately.
Cinnamon has a proven and widely documented benefit in its action on blood sugar levels. Cinnamon has additional benefits: It lowers blood levels of fats and “bad” cholesterol, which are also partly controlled by insulin.
"I don't recommend eating more cinnamon rolls, or even more apple pie, there's too much fat and sugar," says Dr. Anderson. “The key is to add cinnamon to what you would normally eat.”
Scientific validation or not?
“I think the strongest evidence so far lies in diabetes and the promise of cinnamon and blood sugar control,” said Dr. Wright ( natural treatment researcher Tahoma clinic, Tukwila, USA ). , pointing to studies in test tubes and mice and even small studies in people showing that cinnamon helps with insulin sensitivity and glucose transport.
"Many studies have looked at women and men over 60," said biochemist Amy Stockert, who studies cinnamon at Ohio Northern University's Raabe College of Pharmacy. “Some have found positive effects, others have not.”
Dr. Stockert co-authored a study of 18 people with type 2 diabetes that showed the cinnamon species cassia was more effective than diet alone in lowering blood sugar. In fact, his study found that it was comparable to oral diabetes medications.
Another study of 60 people with type 2 diabetes found that small doses of cinnamon reduced blood sugar and improved LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol. "I like that amount that showed benefits for blood sugar and cholesterol in this study was 1 to 6 grams, which corresponds to a range of half a teaspoon to three teaspoons, or one tablespoon, it is so easy to sprinkle on cereal or in yogurt or to use in recipes," said registered dietitian Lisa Drayer, who writes about nutrition for CNN. The Food and Drug Administration's recommended limit is 6 grams per day.
But while the future looks bright, the American Diabetes Association urges caution.
“The ADA thinks there is not enough evidence,” said ADA member Dr. Maryniuk. “A 2013 meta-analysis, which is one of the most rigorous reviews, found that cinnamon had no impact on hemoglobin A1c levels, which is what we look at to measure blood control. Blood sugar over time. If it had gone down, I would be more impressed."
Still, if you want to see if cinnamon works for you, Dr. Maryniuk suggests people with type 2 diabetes do a self-test. "Do blood sugar tests in pairs," she said. “Use half a teaspoon in the morning, on fruit, oatmeal or in coffee, and see what happens to your blood sugar before and after eating. Check again two to three hours later and see if there's a difference. "But keep taking your medicine," she warned. "You don't want to try something to the exclusion of the medication you're taking."
In short, cinnamon is and will inevitably remain an ally of your health but the community must move forward in order to provide irrefutable evidence for official treatment with cinnamon.
Dementia, cancer and more
Cinnamon's anti-oxidant properties are also being studied for their impact on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Cinnamaldehyde, a compound responsible for the spice's sweet smell, and epicatechin, a powerful antioxidant which is also found in blueberries, red wine and chocolate, appears to offer some protection against oxidative stress, a key player in the development of dementia. Another study found that a component of Ceylon cinnamon had the same effect. However, the research only took place on mice, rats and laboratory petri dishes.
“It seems to work as an anti-inflammatory or antioxidant, protecting the body at the cellular level from bad things happening,” Dr. Wright said, “by getting rid of waste and keeping cells healthy.”
The research on cinnamon doesn't stop there. Ceylon cinnamon has also been linked to anticancer properties in rodents, antiparasitic effects, improvement in diabetic neuropathy, lowering blood pressure, and wound healing, including liver damage. Studies have shown that cinnamon oil solutions can kill a number of common bacteria, such as streptococcus and E. coli. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health is studying the impact of cinnamon on multiple sclerosis.
Using a computer model, biochemist Stockert discovered that cinnamon was as effective as resveratrol, an antioxidant in red wine known for its anti-aging and anti-disease properties, in activating SIRT-1 - also known called the longevity gene because of its role in repairing DNA. "In some cases it did better than resveratrol," Stockert said.
So, cinnamon as a health aid?
Based on all this preliminary research, cinnamon's potential seems enormous. But experts warn that it is still too early in the scientific process to suggest cinnamon as a daily supplement. The scientific community is still at an early stage in studying the benefits of Cinnamon on our bodies. Much research needs to be done yet carried out before making strong health claims linking cinnamon. The studies are going in the right direction. Trade on the other hand is in bad shape. Many traders will claim this or that benefit not supported by scientific evidence not yet accepted.