Cinnamon tea is made with bark from a cinnamon tree. The bark can be ground up into a powder to make teas or use the cinnamon sticks that are created when it is harvested. Take either of these and steep for a few mins in boiling water to taste and add sweeteners if desired.
Cinnamon tea is known to have several healthy ingredients which can give great benefits to those who drink it. The following are 12 of these healthy benefits:
1. Contains antioxidants
Antioxidants help battle the oxidation that free radicals cause. Free radicals are particles that damage cells and are a factor in causing illnesses like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Cinnamon tea has lots of an antioxidant called polyphenols and studies show this substance is good for your body.
2. Fights inflammation and could help in protecting the heart
Studies using test tubes showed cinnamon can fight inflammation, which is the base cause of several chronic illnesses like heart disease. Plus it is said to lower blood pressure as well as lower the bad LDL cholesterol and raise the level of the good HDL cholesterol. If you want to take advantage of this, consume about 120 mg, which is a tenth of a teaspoon, of cinnamon every day.
3. Might lower blood sugar levels
Cinnamon has been seen to act like insulin, which is the hormone that takes glucose from the blood and transmits it to the tissues. It lowers resistance to insulin so this increases insulin’s ability to work. It also breaks down carbohydrates in your gut, so when you eat you won’t get a spick in the level of sugar in the blood. These benefits appeared in those who consumed between 120 milligrams to six grams of powdered cinnamon.
4. Might help you to lose weight
Cinnamon tea has been studied as a benefit for weight loss and losing inches in the waist. One study showed a loss of .7 percent fat loss and a gain of 1.1 percent muscle so even if it works, it doesn’t seem to take a lot off when used by itself. The study participants consumed five teaspoons of cinnamon powder for 12 weeks.
5. Battles fungus and bacteria
Cinnamon is known to have strong properties of antibacterial and antifungal characteristics. Studies with test tubes showed the main active element in cinnamon called cinnamaldehyde, prevented mold, fungus, and bacteria from growing. It included organisms like Staphylococcus, E. Coli, and Salmonella. Plus it fights tooth decay and bad breath.
6. Might soothe PMS symptoms like menstrual cramps
Cinnamon tea was in a study where women consumed either three grams of cinnamon or took a placebo during the first three days of their period. The ones consuming the cinnamon tea had a lot less pain reported than the others. Another such study showed taking 1.5 grams helped relieve pain better than a placebo. Plus it was seen to help prevent vomiting and nausea during a woman’s menstrual cycle.
7. Might help slow down the aging of the skin
Several studies showed cinnamon promotes the formation of collagen, which is a substance that keeps the skin hydrated and elastic. Therefore it might slow down skin aging.
8. Might help prevent some cancers
Studies with test tubes showed cinnamon extract assisted in killing some kinds of cancer cells, including skin cancer cells.
9. Might help protect the brain
Studies with both animals and test tubes revealed cinnamon could help protect the brain from diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
10. Might help battle HIV
Studies with test tubes revealed cinnamon extract was seen to battle common strains of the HIV virus, which can cause cancer.
11. Might fight acne
Studies with test tubes showed cinnamon extract fights the bacteria that cause acne to appear on the skin. However, more studies are needed to confirm these findings.
12. Simple to incorporate into a daily diet
Cinnamon tea is not hard to make and is very tasty too. You can drink it either hot or cold. Just put a teaspoon of ground cinnamon into eight ounces of boiling water and steep for ten to fifteen minutes. You can add ice and sweeteners as desired. Plus it is free from caffeine so won’t make you jittery.
