Cinnamon powder comes from the bark of tropical, evergreen trees. In order to harvest cinnamon, it’s peeled off of the inside of the bark of the tree. Cinnamon is a popular spice that is used for flavoring delicacies and drinks. Moreover, this aromatic spice has long been used in traditional medicines and food preservatives. In fact, it turns out, cinnamon or dalchini may be a great spice for managing diabetes.
Cinnamon has been used as a medicine in traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for centuries. Known for its benefits linked to digestion and gastrointestinal complaints, cinnamon has long been used as a home remedy for heartburn, indigestion, and nausea.
Some of the many health benefits of Dalchini Powder are as follows-
- Diabetes is a disease that is characterised by abnormally high blood sugar. Cinnamon comes packed with antioxidants that decrease oxidative stress, reducing the risk of developing many health conditions including diabetes. In fact, several studies have linked cinnamon to better blood sugar levels and some show that it may also curb blood sugar by lowering insulin resistance. Thus, dalchini can be used for following two types of diabetes-
- Manage type 2 diabetes- Perhaps the most astounding and exciting benefit of a daily dose of cinnamon is its impact on type 2 diabetes. It can help manage this condition by reducing blood pressure and improving insulin sensitivity. Certain compounds in cinnamon can imitate the effects of insulin and help regulate blood sugar, a function which is crucial for those with diabetes.
- Cinnamon is well known for its blood-sugar-lowering properties- Apart from the beneficial effects on insulin resistance, cinnamon can lower blood sugar by several other mechanisms. First, cinnamon has been shown to decrease the amount of glucose that enters your bloodstream after a meal. Second, a compound in cinnamon can act on cells by mimicking insulin This greatly improves glucose uptake by your cells, though it acts much slower than insulin itself.
- Helps in digestion- Cinnamon is packed with mineral manganese, fibre, essential oils and calcium. The calcium and fibre combine with bile salts and help in their transport outside the body. The essential oils, help regulate the action of gastric juices on food, improves digestion, assimilation and its anti inflammatory properties helps reduce the inflammation caused due to indigestion, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and ulcers. Moreover the fibre content helps to relieve constipation and diarrhoea.
- Cinnamon can lower bad cholesterol (or LDL) – Cinnamon may help lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels and raise HDL (good cholesterol) levels. One compound in particular, cinnamate, may be able to decrease the activity of an enzyme that makes cholesterol, thus reducing the amount of fatty acids in the blood.
- Beats heart diseaseand atherosclerosis– Packed with fibre and calcium, cinnamon is great for the heart. Since the fibre and calcium and help transport bile salts outside the body, the body produces more bile salts for other bodily functions by breaking down cholesterol. This directly translates to lower cholesterol levels which protect the heart from blockages and the arteries from atherosclerosis.
- Combat acne- Cinnamon can stop acne-causing bacteria in its tracks. To make one great-smelling acne mask, simply combine 3 tablespoons of honey with 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon to form a paste. Leave it on your skin for 10 minutes, then wash it off and enjoy your refreshed face.
- Helps relieve cold and cough- Known for its antibiotic and body warming properties, cinnamon is a formidable remedy against a cold and cough. It not only helps to relieve the congestion commonly experienced with a cold, it is also great for a sore throat when combined with ginger, tulsi and honey.