Cinnamon and Heart Health: Why This Spice is Good for Your Heart
Cinnamon is a spice that has been prized for its warm, comforting flavor, and its full spectrum of benefits for health.
Over the past few years, cinnamon has come into focus for its possible contribution to heart health.
Turns out, this humble spice with its antioxidants and anti inflammatory properties may be just the secret ingredient your heart needs.
In the article today, we will discuss cinnamon as a way to aid cardiovascular health and explain the benefits of this spice to the heart, how to use it, and how much is safe to consume for cardiac health.
Why is Cinnamon a Heart healthy Spice?
The trees that grow cinnamon trees fall under Cinnamomum family.
There’re 2 main types of cinnamon: Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon.
Both varieties are healthy but Ceylon cinnamon is a better choice for your heart because of its lower coumarin content. (1)
Cassia cinnamon contains a compound called coumarin that becomes dangerous in large amounts, so you want to make sure to pick the right type.
The biologically active compounds in cinnamon, notably cinnamaldehyde, are what make cinnamon a heart-healthy food.
A characteristic flavor of cinnamon comes from these compounds, and also antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Free radicals damage cells in the body and contribute to heart disease, that is why antioxidants combat it.
For helping reduce the inflammation in your blood vessels, one of the reasons that contribute to heart disease, cinnamon is anti inflammatory.
Cinnamon, in short, could help with a healthier heart by minimizing oxidative stress and inflammation.
Cinnamon’s Supporting Healthy Blood Pressure.
Cinnamon is one of the major benefits for heart health because it can help maintain healthy blood pressure levels.
One of the major risk factors for heart disease and stroke is high blood pressure, or hypertension.
According to studies, cinnamon can assist in lowering both systolic and diastolic blood pressure at the same time in people who already have high blood pressure. (2)
In a 2013 Hypertension study, those who took cinnamon daily had a dramatically lower blood pressure.
By dilating your blood vessels, cinnamon’s bioactive compounds improve circulation reducing stress on your heart.
So even a small drop in blood pressure makes cinnamon an easy replacement for your dietary needs for better heart health.
The Effect that Cinnamon has on Cholesterol Levels
Maintaining heart health is also dependent on another important factor — cholesterol.
Excess of the “bad” or low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) which can buildup in the arteries and make you susceptible to heart disease.
Cholesterol can be balanced by cinnamon, which may lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol, the ‘good’ cholesterol that maintains clear arteries.
Cinnamon has been proven by several studies to improve cholesterol profile.
For example, a 2011 study in the Journal of Nutrition showed that eating cinnamon resulted in lower LDL levels and better HDL levels among people with type 2 diabetes. (3)
Cinnamon may help protect your heart and reduce your risk of heart disease by helping to improve cholesterol levels.
Reducing Blood Sugar: A Key Factor in Heart Health
Keeping your blood sugar levels healthy is important for overall heart health.
By definition, people with diabetes or insulin resistance are at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
It has been proven that cinnamon can help make blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity better.
Insulin sensitivity is increased by supplementation with cinnamon in people with type 2 diabetes, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. (4)
Cinnamon helps work together with basal insulin and increase insulin sensitivity, lowering blood sugar as well as stress on the heart.
With its heart supporting and metabolic health promoting benefits, cinnamon makes an excellent addition to your diet if you are seeking ways to support and enhance heart health.
Reducing Inflammation with Cinnamon
Heart disease develops with chronic inflammation.
Inflammation can damage your blood vessels and help build up plaque in your arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis.
This is packed with anti-inflammatory properties that will help to cut down on these harmful effects that can be caused from being inflamed.
Some studies have shown that cinnamon helps lower inflammation markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker associated with increased risk of heart disease.
A 2009 study in the journal Lipids in Health and Disease found that, when cinnamon is consumed daily, participants’ CRP levels decrease. (5)
Cinnamon is thought to help reduce inflammation and can support heart health and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
To Incorporate Cinnamon in Your Diet for Heart Health
It’s easy to add cinnamon to your diet, and there are many delicious ways to do it.
You can dust it on your morning oatmeal or scooped into your smoothies.
Other heart healthy ingredients that go well with cinnamon are apples, nuts, and whole grains.
The other way to enjoy the cinnamon benefits is by making the cinnamon tea.
All you have to do is steep a cinnamon stick in hot water for a few minutes and drink your teaspoon of cinnamon tea.
Add ground cinnamon to your recipes, from baked goods to curries if you want a more intense flavor.
To get the most out of it, shoot for about 1 - 2 teaspoons of cinnamon per day no matter if you are having it in a drink, in your food, or on a supplement.
Don’t risk it, choose Ceylon cinnamon if it’s available.
Adding high-quality supplements, like sustainably sourced options from trusted brands, can complement your daily routine to support overall heart health and well-being.
Cinnamon Tea: This is a Delicious way to Boost Heart Health
Easy and flavorful, cinnamon tea is an easy way to get the heart healthy benefits of cinnamon.
Cinnamon tea is super easy to make at home and all you need is a cinnamon stick and hot water.
Place the cinnamon stick to steep for 5 – 10 minutes, and enjoy a warm warm soothing drink with great anti-inflammatory, lower blood pressure, and blood sugar regulating benefit.
You can also try and mix things up a bit by throwing a bit of honey, ginger or lemon into your cinnamon tea for a firmer and more healthy taste.
Apart from its heart healthy properties, cinnamon tea can help you unwind and relax after a long day.
Cinnamon and Heart Health: Side Effects and possible Risks.
Generally cinnamon is safe for most people, but large amounts of cassia cinnamon can have side effects.
Cassia cinnamon contains more coumarin — a compound that can generate a toxic effect upon exposure in large doses — than the variety that has related health benefits.
Because of this, it’s best to eat cinnamon in moderation and choose the Ceylon cinnamon when you can.
If you have liver disease or are taking medications that affect your liver, ask your healthcare provider before boosting your cinnamon intake.
To avoid risk and reap cinnamon’s heart health benefits, stick to 1 to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon daily.
How Much Cinnamon Should You Eat to Improve Your Heart Health?
Cinnamon should be used in 1–2 teaspoons quantity per day.
With this amount, you get enough of the heart healthy ingredients to benefit your heart without jeopardizing your health.
Note that the cinnamon you buy matters too. Always choose Ceylon cinnamon over cassia, if you can as Ceylon cinnamon has less coumarin.
If you are taking cinnamon in supplement form make sure to discuss it with a health care professional to determine what the appropriate dose is for your needs.
Final Thoughts
To facilitate heart health, simply sprinkle cinnamon in your diet every day.
Cinnamon is good for the heart in many ways: It improves blood sugar and cholesterol, reduces inflammation, and lowers blood pressure.
If you want a healthier heart, start adding cinnamon to your diet today!
Stick to 1-2 teaspoons per day of Ceylon cinnamon to avoid side effects and remember to enjoy!
If you’re looking for high quality cinnamon, check out the sustainable, heart healthy Ceylon cinnamon Wild Foods’ offers.
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FAQs
Just how does cinnamon promote heart health?
Cinnamon supports heart health by reducing inflammation, improving cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure and controlling blood sugar.
Can cinnamon help lower cholesterol?
Indeed, cinnamon can lower LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol improving your overall cholesterol profile.
Is cinnamon good for the arteries?
Cinnamon is not only good for you, it can help reduce arterial plaque buildup and support overall vascular health which in turn helps circulation.
How much cinnamon should lead to heart health?
Generally, increasing the memory of heart health is 1 to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon per day.
What are the side effects of eating too much cinnamon?
It is the coumarin content that contributes the most to the potential liver damage, though too high a dose of either cinnamon, especially cassia cinnamon, can cause problems. Limiting risks is to stick to reasonable amounts.
Related Studies
1. Title: Coumarin content in Ceylon vs Cassia cinnamon and its implications for health
Summary: This credible source discusses the differences in coumarin levels between Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon, highlighting how these differences can impact heart health due to coumarin's potential toxicity.
Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4975791/
DOI link: 10.3390/molecules21081092
2. Title: Effect of short-term administration of cinnamon on blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes
Summary: This 2013 study found that short-term cinnamon supplementation significantly reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23867208/
DOI link: 10.1016/j.jada.2013.06.008
3. Title: Cinnamon improves lipid profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial
Summary: The 2011 study published in the Journal of Nutrition demonstrated that cinnamon supplementation significantly reduced LDL cholesterol and increased HDL cholesterol levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Link: https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(11)00782-X/fulltext
DOI link: 10.1016/j.jada.2011.05.005
4. Title: Cinnamon and its effects on insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetic patients
Summary: This study from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition showed that cinnamon supplementation improved insulin sensitivity among participants with type 2 diabetes.
Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3008775/
DOI link: 10.1080/07315724.2010.10719818
5. Title: Cinnamon reduces C-reactive protein and inflammatory markers in humans
Summary: The 2009 study published in Lipids in Health and Disease found that cinnamon supplementation led to a significant reduction in C-reactive protein levels, indicating decreased inflammation.
Link: https://lipidworld.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1476-511X-8-33
DOI link: 10.1186/1476-511X-8-33
