5 Benefits of cinnamon (cinnamon) in the health sector: uses, side effects, interactions

The benefits of cinnamon as a spice in cooking have long been known. Cinnamon is a spice extracted from the bark of the genus tree Cinnamomum which is included in Indonesia's largest export commodity.

However, it is not only used as a mixture of food and beverages, this spice is also used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries because it has been proven to have various health benefits. One species of cinnamon that has an important role in health is native Indonesian cinnamon, namely Cinnamomum burmannii , which is also believed to be useful for preventing nausea, reducing muscle spasms, passing gas, and preventing infection.

In the world of human health, cinnamon has quite a large number of roles, including as an antioxidant and antimicrobial when dealing directly with oxidants or microbes, as well as acting as anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antidiabetic indirectly through mediated receptor mechanisms. The role of cinnamon in health is supported by the active ingredients found in the essential oils in the wood, among others cinnamaldehyde , cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol .

Benefits of cinnamon for health

1. Anti blood clots

The active ingredients in cinnamon, cinnamaldehyde , has been studied to have an effect on blood platelets, namely the part of the blood has a role in the blood clotting process at the time of injury. However, under certain conditions, platelets also have a tendency to clot in normal circumstances. In addition to inhibiting blood flow, blood clotting in the blood circulation by platelets will affect the process of transporting oxygen and nutrients to all body cells and increasing blood pressure.

Cinnaldehyde Cinnamon can help prevent unwanted blood clots by inhibiting the release of arachidonic fatty acids from platelets and reducing molecular formation. thromboxane A2 from platelets . This has also been proven through research by a team from Chiba University, Japan.

2. Increase sensitivity to the hormone insulin

The content of chromium and polyphenols in cinnamon has been shown to increase sensitivity to the hormone insulin, given that these compounds have an effect similar to insulin signaling and glucose control. The increased sensitivity to insulin in a person's body, the less insulin needed by that person to make blood sugar stable. With increased sensitivity to the hormone insulin, the risk of high blood pressure, type two diabetes, and cholesterol can be minimized.

3. Role in neurodegenerative diseases

Neurodegenerative or nerve cell death is a trigger for various neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and the like. These neurodegenerative diseases are associated with damage to nerve cells and affect movement control, sensory information processing, and memory retrieval.

The benefits of cinnamon have long been believed in the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases, one of which is Alzheimer's disease. Compound cinnamaldehyde and epicatechin which is contained in cinnamon is able to prevent the accumulation of the protein tau (τ) in the brain. These compounds have been shown to prevent clotting from occurring and possibly prevent Alzheimer's disease.

4. Antioxidants

Among the spices available, cinnamon has been shown to have high antioxidant activity. Cinnamon contains antioxidants, one of which is polyphenols (hydroxycinnamic acids), which can protect the body from oxidative damage from free radicals. Polyphenols in cinnamon can also be useful for maintaining and maintaining human health, including protecting the skin from UV radiation, reducing signs of aging, reducing inflammation, maintaining brain health and protecting against dementia, maintaining the heart and blood vessel system, and inhibiting growth of tumors and cancer cells.

Antioxidants from food are one of the things that humans need today, especially those who have to deal with pollution in big cities, to maintain health, and consumption of cinnamon in moderation is one solution to this problem.

5. Antimicrobial

Cinnamon has the ability to stop the growth of bacteria and fungi, one of a kind Candida . Candida is an infectious microorganism that can be found in the mouth, intestines, and vagina, which causes diseases of the skin and mucous membranes. Infection Candida on the inside of the body can be reduced and even stopped by consuming cinnamon. This role is supported by the content cinnamaldehyde which is found in cinnamon oil.

Apart from treating infections caused by fungi Candida , another benefit of cinnamon is that it can treat diseases Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) caused by gastroenteritis bacteria.