Spices are used to improve the taste of cooked dishes, but many of them also have useful qualities. One of these spices is cinnamon. The properties of this plant are used in the treatment of various ailments and in cosmetology. In stores, cinnamon is sold in the form of powder or sticks. But what does it look like in nature?
General Description
The plant is called "Ceylon cinnamon", grows in the tropical forests of Asia, Sri Lanka and the Seychelles. This evergreen tree is also grown in Brazil, Egypt and Vietnam. The fruits are berries up to 1 cm in diameter with a characteristic purple hue. To prepare the seasoning, a thin inner layer of bark is used, which is dried, twisted into strips and cut into pieces. So the well-known cinnamon goes on sale. Seasoning properties - pleasant aroma and sweet taste.
There is also false cinnamon, this plant is called "cassia" in nature, and it is found in Indonesia, China. The quality of this product is much lower than the real one, since the whole bark is used for its preparation. Moreover, incassia contains coumarin at a concentration dangerous to human he alth.
Composition and contraindications
The spice contains a large amount of essential oils, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins and fatty acids. The calorie content of cinnamon is quite high, but they use it in small quantities, so there is no harm to the body.
Due to the content of a huge number of active ingredients, it is cinnamon that is used in cooking, traditional medicine and cosmetology. Its properties are very useful for the body, as they have an antifungal, bactericidal, warming, disinfectant, antidepressant effect.
The properties of cinnamon to reduce weight and blood sugar, while normalizing the process of digestion and the work of the heart and blood vessels, are very much appreciated by nutritionists and adherents of alternative medicine. It is also worth noting that the spice is able to cope with colds and coughs.
Despite a number of positive aspects that cinnamon has, the beneficial properties and contraindications complement each other. Individual intolerance, low blood pressure, advanced age, high temperature, excitability - these are exactly the factors that should force you to exclude this spice from the diet. Pregnant women should also refrain from eating cinnamon for a while.
Cinnamon and traditional medicine
Cinnamon will help you keep your breath fresh. The properties of antimicrobial and antifungal action are already knownfor a long time. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by nausea, low acidity, flatulence and constipation, can be stopped if the spice is used regularly. For hypertensive patients, cinnamon is an excellent means of stabilizing blood pressure. The cholesterol-lowering properties of the spice are also very valuable. Only in this case it is necessary to apply it together with honey. A bath with the addition of cinnamon will relieve a cold. A feeling of fatigue and tension in the muscles will help to remove the massage cream with cinnamon oil.
