The cinnamon in holiday cooking reduces blood sugar and can cure the common cold

Image: cookingwithkrista.blogspot.com

(NaturalNews) Cinnamon is a frequent addition to holiday meals such as pumpkin pie and mulled cider. Cinnamon can also be used to lower blood sugar, treat the common cold and thin blood. In fact, the drug Coumadin is derived from a synthetic form of cinnamon. Used in Chinese medicine, cinnamon is derived from the bark of a tree native to Ceylon (Sri Lanka). The oil from the tree bark contains the active ingredient, cinnamonaldehyde. Cinnamon oil is calming to the nervous system.

Healing uses of cinnamon
Cinnamon can be used to treat heart disease, as it is known to reduce cholesterol. And ongoing research on the use of cinnamon continually shows that it reduces blood sugar. Cinnamon acts as an antifungal and can treat yeast infections and thrush. It can also treat Helicobacter pylori bacterial infections, which lead to ulcers. Cinnamon can be used as a gargle to treat sore throats.

Cinnamon use in Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine, Egypt and Rome
In traditional Chinese medicine, cinnamon has been used for over five thousand years to cure colds, improve digestion and treat nausea, diarrhea and painful menses. It can also be used to improve the health of those who have chronically cold feet and hot upper bodies, a condition known in Chinese medicine as "kwai."

Cinnamon was used by the Egyptians to embalm mummies and also to preserve meat. Ancient Romans used cinnamon for coughs and colds and also burned it to clear the air. Romans also used cinnamon for offerings at shrines. Pliny the Elder in the first century A.D. wrote that cinnamon was 15 times more valuable than silver. In Indian Ayurvedic medicine, cinnamon is utilized to treat diabetes, indigestion and those with kapha temperaments. Cinnamon is an ingredient in chai tea and, as such, aids digestion of fruit and dairy.

Warning for use of cinnamon
Pregnant women should avoid the use of cinnamon, as it can cause blood thinning that is not beneficial while pregnant. Also, it's recommended that anyone on blood-thinning medication or on diabetic medicine consult with their medical advisers before adding cinnamon to their diet.

Source: naturalnews.com

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About the author:
Talya Dagan is a health advocate and health coach, trained in nutrition and gourmet health food cuisine, writing about natural remedies for disease and nutrition and herbal medicine.

Organic Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Recipe

It's pumpkin season and what better to celebrate than a healthy twist on pumpkin pie?! This smoothie tastes exactly like chilled pumpkin pie in a glass, but without all the added saturated fat and refined sugar that most conventional pumpkin pies are stuffed with. This thick and creamy smoothie makes a delicious filling breakfast or mid-day treat and helps boost your energy levels!

Pumpkin is packed with an array of health benefits - it helps support eye health; decreases the risk of lung cancer in smokers; provides 246% of the RDA of vitamin A; protects from age related macular disease; rich in B-complex for a healthy nervous system and calmness; rich in minerals like copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorous; and is loaded with fiber and mono-unsaturated fatty acids!

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup pumpkin pureé (you can buy organic, no-sugar pumpkin purée from a can at a health foods store, or you can make your own RAW pumpkin puree by blending some pumpkin in a vitamix with a little bit of water)
- 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice
- 3 medjool dates, pitted
- 1 banana, ripe and spotty
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean
- 1 cup young thai coconut water or fresh almond milk (freshly made is best, for the raw effect, or you can use almond milk from the store)

Blend all the ingredients together for 30 seconds and enjoy!

Source: rawedibles.blogspot.ca