Cinnamon

his deliciously sweet spice is not only the best tasting and smelling ingredient to add to hot chocolate, cookies, desserts and teas, but it’s also packed with a variety of protective antioxidant compounds that have potent anti-inflammatory activity.

The reduction of inflammation means that cinnamon oil and extract can be beneficial in the case of chronic pains such as migraines and arthritis, as cinnamon can promote blood circulation, which helps stimulate and push circulation to the nerves and joints.

Whether it’s used as a tea, oil or extract, cinnamon contains high amounts of the active compound called cinnamaldehyde, the one that possesses medicinal properties. In fact, this spice in a concentrated supplement form is well-known to help manage blood sugar levels by improving insulin resistance.

Cinnamon works directly on muscle cells, forcing them to remove sugar from the bloodstream, where it is converted to energy by interfering with numerous digestive enzymes that slow down the breakdown of carbohydrates in the digestive tract. Plus, cinnamon has been proven to fight fungal, bacterial and viral elements in foods, and in ayurvedic medicine it’s used to improve lung congestion issues, since it helps to clear up mucus and encourages circulation.

Again, the medicinal effects can be seen with a dose that’s probably higher than your daily consumption, but making this spice part of meals, adding it to both sweet and savoury dishes, will please both palate and health.