Enjoy Cinnamon to Combat Heart Disease, Diabetes

Isn’t is awesome when something that tastes great is also good for you? Researchers have long recognized cinnamon’s health benefits such as controlling rises in blood sugar, preventing unwanted clumping of blood platelets and stopping the growth of problematic bacteria … the scent of cinnamon is even thought to boost brain function. More recent research is studying the effects of cinnamon on heart disease and diabetes.

The study, published in the Journal of the American College on Nutrition, followed 22 obese participants who were met conditions for pre-diabetes. Half of the participants took a placebo while the other half drank a cinnamon and water solution. The cinnamon drinkers showed a marked increase — up to 23 percent — of the protective antioxidants that can help prevent heart disease and diabetes.

Sipping on a glass of cinnamon water sounds anything but pleasant. But there are many healthful ways you can incorporate more cinnamon into your diet. Some ideas:

- Flavor your morning oatmeal with cinnamon.

- Top low-fat vanilla yogurt with cinnamon, almonds and sliced bananas.

- Sprinkle cinnamon on your whole-grain cold cereal.

- Add a dash of cinnamon to your morning coffee.

- Coat sliced apples with a thin layer of cinnamon by placing both in a baggie and shaking it.

- Add a cinnamon stick to your cup of tea while it steeps.