Cinnamon is a frequent addition to holiday meals such as pumpkin pie and mulled cider. Cinnamon can also be used to lower blood sugar, treat the common cold and thin blood. In fact, the drug Coumadin is derived from a synthetic form of cinnamon. Used in Chinese medicine, cinnamon is derived from the bark of a tree native to Ceylon (Sri Lanka). The oil from the tree bark contains the active ingredient, cinnamonaldehyde. Cinnamon oil is calming to the nervous system.
Healing uses of cinnamon
Cinnamon can be used to treat heart disease, as it is known to reduce cholesterol. And ongoing research on the use of cinnamon continually shows that it reduces blood sugar. Cinnamon acts as an antifungal and can treat yeast infections and thrush. It can also treat Helicobacter pylori bacterial infections, which lead to ulcers. Cinnamon can be used as a gargle to treat sore throats.