The Magical Spice

Cinnamon is a small tree that grows in Sri Lanka, India, and Vietnam. A mere teaspoon of the spice has a whopping 28 mg of calcium, one mg of iron, one mg of fiber, and a smattering of vitamins C, K, and manganese. But that's just the tip of the spice rack.

- Its history dates back to 2800 BC when the Chinese used it to remedy colds, flu, and digestive disorders.
- Moses used it as an ingredient for his anointing oils.
- Roman Emperor Nero demanded that a year's supply of it be burned after he slaughtered his wife.
- In the first century A.D., Pliny the Elder wrote that 350 grams of it was equivalent to more than five kilograms of silver.

What substance could be so valued, so powerful, and so healing? A spice you likely have in the back of your kitchen cupboard . . . cinnamon. And it turns out that modern researcher doctors are just learning about the spice's many medicinal qualities.

Cinnamon is a small tree that grows in Sri Lanka, India, and Vietnam. A mere teaspoon of the spice has a whopping 28 mg of calcium, one mg of iron, one mg of fiber, and a smattering of vitamins C, K, and manganese. But that's just the tip of the spice rack.

According to a study conducted by Dr. Richard A. Anderson of the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Maryland, a simple dash of cinnamon may improve the health of those suffering from type II diabetes.

Anderson and his colleagues at the USDA Agricultural Research Center had 60 diabetics consume capsules that contained zero, one, three, or six grams of cinnamon each day for 40 days. The capsules with no cinnamon contained wheat flour.

Anderson's study found that all subjects given the cinnamon-laced capsules experienced up to 30 percent drops in their levels of glucose, fats and cholesterol.

Those who took the placebo showed no changes in their blood levels. Apparently cinnamon, like insulin, helps the body's insulin signaling, glucose transport, and inflammatory response.

Cinnamon also has cholesterol-fighting properties: In Pakistan, a 40-day study of sixty people with Type II diabetes, found that just one-quarter of a teaspoon of the spice taken twice daily lowered not only lowered the subjects' blood sugar, but also their LDL or "bad cholesterol" as well as their overall cholesterol levels. This is good news for those wanting to prevent hypertension and heart disease.

Would you like to be more alert, more on on the ball, quick-witted? - a small splash of cinnamon could be the key to a smarter you. A research study presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Services found that the simple act of smelling cinnamon or chewing cinnamon-flavored gum improved subjects' brainpower in areas ranging from memory to recognition to attention and focus.

Healers have long known of cinnamon's antiseptic properties too. A Japanese study found that the spice not only soothes an upset stomach, but may even prevent ulcers. German researchers confirmed that cinnamon blocks bacteria that causes urinary tract and yeast infections.

On an important note, not all cinnamons are created equal. You will not reap the full benefits from cinnamon you bought five years ago. Ground cinnamon keeps most of its healing powers for up to six months.

To purchase a high quality, gourmet-grade of this magical spice, please visit http://www.rawleigh-products.com. Rawleigh uses an especially high-grade of cinnamon from the bark of an evergreen bush native to Sri Lanka. The bark is peeled away from the bush in thin strips, dried, and ground yet still retains three percent of its oil content - an amazing feat that provides a superior grade of cinnamon.

Remember, aside from its healing properties, cinnamon is a very versatile spice, used in curry powder as well as a variety of sweet dishes.

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