While most of the spices we use in our Indian kitchens are small, either in seed form or in the form of dry powders. But there’s one that’s a little different – Noticed a long bark-like item? Yes, that’s the one we’re talking about. Cinnamon, unlike most other spicy Indian condiments has a subtle sweet flavor and is used to add a twist to many Indian dishes such as biryani, gravies, and desserts like kheer, etc. But did you know that along with its fabulous taste, cinnamon is also a source of great food value and contains many essential nutrients that improve your health and wellness levels and keep your body functioning optimally.

To know more about how why you should include cinnamon in your daily diet, click here.

Following are some of the health benefits of consuming cinnamon regularly:

1. Boosts Brain Health

Research reports around the world show a strong link between consumption of cinnamon and prevention of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s. Cinnamon is known to have anti-aging effects and improve your longevity, keeping your brain healthy and preventing its degeneration and the onset of age-related disorders. It also boosts the health of your nervous system, keeping your nerves and sensors in optimal condition.

2. Great Source of Fiber

One of the biggest beneficial constituents of cinnamon is its fiber content, which has positive impacts on various parts and functions of your body. Fiber keeps your heart healthy by purifying your blood and maintaining its rate of flow through your body, and improves good cholesterol levels and decreases bad cholesterol levels, protecting you from strokes and cardiovascular diseases.

The fiber also harmonizes your digestion and excretion functions, ensuring you have a healthy stomach and regular bowel movements. It flushes out harmful chemicals and toxins and waste materials from your system.

Another little-known benefit of fiber is that it helps you shed those excess kilos. Not only does it promote the production of insulin and the breakdown of carbohydrates in your body, but it also fills you up quickly and keeps you feeling full for long periods of time, thereby ensuring that you do not reach out for those tempting packets of unhealthy snack options between meals, reducing your calorie intake and helping you in your weight loss efforts.

This fiber content, coupled with cinnamon’s antioxidant properties, helps reduce the risk of cancer by eliminating free radicals from your system and helping to reduce the impact of carcinogenic substances.

3. Regulates Blood Sugar Levels

Regular consumption of cinnamon can help you prevent as well as fight diabetes as it helps in the regulation of blood sugar levels in your body. It does so by promoting the production of insulin and breaking down carbohydrates more effectively during the digestion process, reducing the risk of this lifestyle disease, especially Type 2 diabetes.

4. Improves the Functioning of Your Immune System

Cinnamon contains a whole list of nutrients that have soothing, healing and thermogenic properties that work to boost your immunity, thereby preventing you from common colds and allergies, as well as more severe health issues. Keep away from the harmful side-effects of modern medicine by sticking to the basics and including cinnamon in your daily diet.

5. Effective Anti-bacterial and Anti-inflammatory Agent

Cinnamon has fantastic anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help with various problems that your body faces. For example, it reduces acne and acne scars by dealing with the root cause of this skin problem. It can also be mixed with water and used as a paste to be applied to areas of our body affected by inflammation due to diseases like arthritis.

Now that you know how positively cinnamon affects your mind, body and soul, you must ensure that you use it regularly. Include it in your sweet and savory preparations, or just have a spoonful of cinnamon powder with honey first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

To further explore the wonders of this magic bark, click here.