How Bad Cholesterol and Mosquitoes Bow to Cinnamon’s Power

In “Scarborough Fair,” Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel sing of something seldom heard in songs: spices. They sing of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme—spices that are undoubtedly sitting in your spice rack this very minute. But there’s one spice in particular that Simon and Garfunkel, sadly, leave out of their song of spice. And it’s the very same spice that you simply can’t afford not to have. What is this spice? Cinnamon.

Cinnamon evokes pleasant memories of home sweet home, where the aroma of fresh baked cinnamon rolls filled the house. But historically, cinnamon was for much more than baking. In medieval times, cinnamon was used as a medicine to treat coughing and sore throats; it was also used as a preservative, particularly for various meats, as the phenols found in cinnamon inhibits bacteria from forming. Today, cinnamon is a mainstay in the baking world: as an additive to bread recipes, to traditional seasonal favorites like gingerbread, and as the name sake ingredient to cereals like Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cinnamon Life.

Of course, sugary cinnamon cereals and breads are things you ought to avoid, but when you discover the health benefits found in cinnamon, you’re going to want to find alternative ways to spice up your life with cinnamon on a regular basis.

There have been numerous studies that document cinnamon’s health benefits. These studies have shown that cinnamon can act as a digestion aid, as a natural cold medicine by relieving congestion, a joint reliever, and as a way to prevent urinary tract infections. In fact, in 2004, doctors at Tufts University performed a 40-day study on 60 people with Type II diabetes and came away with some amazing results. Not only did they discover that their blood sugar levels had lowered, but their LDL cholesterol levels lowered, as well as their triglyceride levels—after consuming only half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day! Speaking to The Boston Globe, Dr. Andrew Greenberg, the director of the study, said the health benefits of cinnamon were “very exciting and promising” (“Cinnamon joins cholesterol battle” The Boston Globe, 24 August 2004).

If those benefits weren’t enough, imagine being able to use cinnamon as an insect repellant! Imagine no more. In reports published by The New York Times, The Boston Globe and several other periodicals like Science Daily, scientists from Taiwan found that cinnamon oil kills mosquito larvae and repels mosquitoes more effectively than DEET. The study was published in the July 24, 2004 issue of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

Now, does this mean that you can gorge yourself on cinnamon rolls and heaping bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch guilt free? Certainly not. Voracious eating not only causes obesity, but eating foods with cinnamon in high doses may be deadly, according to researchers who’ve analyzed the chemistry of cinnamon (the toxic component is believed to be coumarin). The key, of course, is moderation, and finding all-natural, healthy recipes that will spice up your life—while lowering your cholesterol and triglyceride levels along the way.

* Important notes: Cinnamon should not be consumed in large amounts during pregnancy. It is recommended that you seek the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner prior to using cinnamon or any alternative therapies. Any recommended doses are for those over age 18. Always check herb and vitamin use with your child’s health care practitioner prior to administering them.