Cinnamon: For Pretty Much Anything that Ails You

This ancient spice has been touted as an effective remedy for, well, almost everything from killing household odors to killing cancer cells. While overdoing it is a bad idea (even lethal,) adding half a teaspoon per day to coffee or tea, cereal, yogurt, chili, almond butter, butternut squash, etc. can help the body function better and fight the effects of some of the not-so-good things we eat. There are too many accolades to post, but here are a few of them plus a couple of fun facts. 

• Old spice: it’s been around for more than 4000 years and is native to Asia. The Egyptians began trading it with China around 2000 BC. 
• Desirable: one of the spices that drove the spice trade, it was a precious commodity given to royals as gifts. It was even used as currency for a time, though cinnamon is seen as commonplace today.
• Around the house: naturally anti-bacterial and anti-microbial, cinnamon has disinfectant powers. Mix cinnamon leaf oil with water or hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle to clean cutting boards, counters, sinks and toys. Studies show it’s effective against Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enteritidis, among other bacteria. And cinnamon repels black ants, dust mites, roaches and bed bugs.
• Comfort food: Who doesn’t like the smell of cinnamon? Studies at Wheeling Jesuit University found that the smell of it calms irritable drivers AND improves cognitive ability. It’s also used in massage oils, not only for its lovely scent, but as a natural warming agent to sooth muscles and relieve pain.
• Common cure: those anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties plus the fact that cinnamon’s a powerful anti-inflammatory and plus the fact that it’s one of the most powerful anti-oxidants in the world make it a formidable opponent against colds, flu, sore throats, coughs, gum disease, and, yes, cancer. Since cinnamon regulates blood sugar (good for diabetics,) and cancer cells feed on sugar, research indicates that the spice helps “starve” the cancer, slowing it and killing it.
• Versatile:  It can be used with sweet foods like pumpkin pie and cookies and also savory foods like chili and barbeque. And more good news, a Penn State study found that adding cinnamon to a meal can cut the heart-threatening triglycerides in the blood by as much as 30 percent.

Seriously, though, too much cinnamon can cause liver damage, and most of the type sold in the United States, Cassia, is very high in Coumarin. People on medication should check with a doctor before adding a cinnamon component to their diets. Ceylon cinnamon, popular in Europe, has a lighter, slightly sweeter flavor with lower levels of Coumarin and can be ordered online..