Where science stands on - Cinnamon

Diabetes and cholesterol

Biochemist Amy Stockert, who studies cinnamon at Raabe College of Pharmacy at Ohio Northern University co-authored a small study of 18 people with type 2 diabetes that showed the cassia species of cinnamon was more effective than diet alone in lowering blood glucose levels. In fact, her study found that it was comparable to oral diabetes medications.

Another study of 60 people with type 2 diabetes found that small doses of cinnamon reduced blood sugar levels and improved LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, triglycerides and total cholesterol.

Still, if you want to see whether cinnamon works for you, people with type 2 diabetes are advised to do a self-test.

Do some paired blood glucose testing. Use a half a teaspoon in the morning, on fruit or oatmeal or in coffee, and see what happens to your blood sugar levels before and after you eat. Check again two to three hours later and see if there's a difference.

Dementia, HIV, cancer and more

The antioxidant properties of cinnamon are also being studied for their impact on the formation of the plaques and tangles of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Cinnamaldehyde, a compound responsible for the spice's sweet smell, and epicatechin, a powerful antioxidant that's also in blueberries, red wine and chocolate, seem to offer some protection against the oxidative stress that damages tau, a key player in the development of dementia.

Another study found a component of Ceylon cinnamon to have the same effect. However, research has occurred only in mice, rats and laboratory Petri dishes.

"It appears to work as an anti-inflammatory or antioxidant, protecting the body on a cellular level from bad things that happen," Wright said, "by getting rid of waste products and keeping the cells healthy."

Cinnamon and other traditional Indian medicinal plants are also being tested in the fight against HIV. One study found that green tea, elderberry and some extracts of cinnamon rich in flavonoids blocked the virus from entering and infecting certain cells.


The research on cinnamon doesn't stop there. Ceylon cinnamon has also been associated with cancer-fighting properties in rodents, anti-parasitic effects, improved diabetic neuropathy, lower blood pressure and wound healing, including liver damage. Studies have shown that solutions of cinnamon oil can kill a number of common bacteria, such as streptococcus and E. coli. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health is investigating cinnamon's impact on multiple sclerosis.

Using a computer model, biochemist Stockert found that cinnamon was as effective as resveratrol, an antioxidant in red wine known for anti-aging and disease-fighting properties, in activating SIRT-1 -- also known as the longevity gene because of its role in repairing DNA.

Read More about Ayurvedic properties and uses of cinnamon Here.

Ayurveda's Healthy eating guidelines

Here are Ayurvedic recommendations -

1.Chew your food until it is an even consistency before swallowing your food.

2.Do not eat while you’re being distracted due to television, conversation or reading.

3.Avoid drinking cold water before eating. This can hamper the process of digestion.

4.Do not drink cold drinks during meals, as it can weaken the digestive fire. A half cup of normal water is fine. Dry meals require more water. Sipping wine during meals is fine.

5.It is said that food prepared with love and care is known to pass on an energy to us. It is said that we must avoid food prepared with resentment. We not only take in the food but also the emotions of the maker, as per ayurveda.

6.You need to consider eating as a sacred thing. You need to pause, relax and be calm before starting to consume your food.

7.After your meal, you need to give yourself a break. You need to pause for a moment and relax before heading to the next activity.

8.You need to eat at a moderate pace until your stomach is three quarters full.

9.You need to give a time period of three hours between each meal to allow your food to be digested properly.

10.Digestion is known to be the strongest when the sun is at its peak. The rhythm of the body mirrors that of the universe. Hence, it is recommended to eat your largest meal at noon and a lighter on at night and in the morning.

11.You need to take all your drinks and water when it is at room temperature. This is because cold drinks can weaken the digestive fire and hence weaken your digestion process.

12.Those people with the Vata nature or imbalance should eat four to five times per day. Again you need to keep in mind the gap of three-four hours between the meals and have meals in smaller quantities.

13.Eat a fresh piece of ginger and lemon or pomegranate chutney before a full meal to balance the Pitta in your body.

14.Drinking lassi with or after lunch is effective for digestion. This is one of the rules of healthy eating as recommended in Ayurveda.

15.As per ayurveda, it is said that dinner must be completed before 8 PM and must always be lighter in quantity.

These are the healthy eating guidelines to follow according to Ayurveda.

Read more - Eat right for a Healthy life

Punarnava - Herbal remedy for Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The virus spreads through blood-to-blood contact, and is usually associated with the use of intravenous drug use, blood donations and other unhygienic use of medical equipment leading to exchange of blood. Once infected, a patient can go years without facing severe symptoms, like liver failure and cirrhosis, only to feel it’s accumulated effects after a long period. HCV affects over 8 million people in the country and has been a cause of major cause for concern.Now, a new class of drug resistant strand of HCV have emerged making the situation worse.

A group of scientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have now come up with a possible deterrent to the virus, derived from a common herb used to relieve pain. Boerhavia diffusa is a flowering plant and a common ingredient in many ayurvedic medicine, with the plant commonly referred to as a Punarnava, something that rejuvenates the body. Now, with their new study, the scientists have identified dehydrorotenoid boeravinone H, a compound found in the plant, as a possible inhibitor of the HCV virus. The study showed that the presence of the compound inhibiting the entry and binding of particles like HCV, with no noticeable side-effects. Although researchers are still studying as to how exactly the compound inhibits HCV growth, the result could be used to develop a new class of drugs to fight the drug resistant HCV’s. The herbs that were prescribed by our elders may have had some truth after all.

Learn more about Ayurvedic Medicinal Herbs