benefits of cinnamon

Cinnamon bark is widely used as a spice. It is principally employed in cookery as a condiment and flavouring material. It is used in the preparation of chocolate, especially in Mexico, which is the main importer of cinnamon.It is also used in many dessert recipes, such as apple pie, doughnuts, and cinnamon buns as well as spicy candies, coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and liqueurs. True cinnamon, rather than cassia, is more suitable for use in sweet dishes.

It is a popular flavoring in numerous alcoholic beverages. Fireball Cinnamon Whisky is a cinnamonflavoured whiskybased liqueur produced by the Sazerac Company.Somewhat similar products

In an experiment testing the effects of various plants used in traditional Indian medicine, an extract of Cinnamomum cassia had an effect on HIV1.Another study found that eugenol, a chemical found in cinnamon essential oils, and in other plants, inhibited the replication of the virus causing herpes in vitro.

Cinnamon has been used in unconventional medicine as a good way to treat skin problems. Cinnamon enjoys the largest popularity in Asia

Cinnamon leaf oil may improve the balance of chemicals and neurotransmitters in your brain, according to the book, Todays Herbal Health: The Essential Reference Guide. By balancing brain chemicals and promoting the production of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, cinnamon leaf oil may reduce the symptoms associated with some mental conditions, such as depression, anxiety, nervousness and mental tension.

Cinnamon leaf oil is sometimes used in aromatherapy as an aphrodisiac for its potential ability to increase sexual function. According to the book, Aromatherapy: An AZ, cinnamon leaf oil has a warming, spicy scent that is used to relieve impotence and increase sexual potency in both men and women. Cinnamon leaf oil in aromatherapy is most often mixed with other therapeutic oils, burned in an oil bowl and inhaled for its potential benefits.

In order to keep the fragrance and flavor intact, cinnamon spice is generally ground just before preparing dishes and added at the last moment in the cooking recipes, because prolonged cooking results in evaporation of essential oils.

Uncooked cinnamon spice can cause choking and respiratory distress. Excessive use of the cinnamon stick may cause inflammation of taste buds, gum swelling, and mouth ulcers. Large quantities can cause difficulty breathing, dilate blood vessels, and cause sleepiness, depression, or even convulsions. (Medical disclaimer).