The dried bark of the cinnamon tree is one of the world’s oldest known spices. It is mentioned in the earliest Chinese botanical dialogue, which dates back to about 2800 BC, as well as in Egyptian papyruses and the Bible.
The generic name is derived from the Arabic or Persian mama, via the Greek amomum meaning spice, and the prefix chini to its believed origin.
Recent studies have determined that consuming as little as one-half a teaspoon of cinnamon daily may reduce blood sugar, cholesterol (LDL) and triglyceride levels by as much as 20% in type 2 diabetes who are not taking insulin.
According to a research, cinnamon helps control blood sugar and cholesterol in people with Type 2 diabetes increases cells’ sensitivity to insulin.
Cinnamon bark is a n agreeable astringent an d cordial and as such is used with advantage in dysentery and looseness, proceeding from a weekend and languid state of the bowels, and in indigestion and chronic nervous debility.
Cinnamon is a tree of the wet tropics and has a somewhat restricted natural range in Sri Lanka, India and South-east Asia.
Cinnamon
