Seasonings are used to improve the taste of cooked dishes, but many of them also have useful qualities. These spices include cinnamon. The properties of this plant are used in the treatment of various ailments and in cosmetology. In stores, cinnamon is sold in the form of powder or sticks. But how does she look in nature?
general description
The plant is called "Ceylon Cinnamon", grows in the tropical forests of Asia, Sri Lanka and the Seychelles. Also, this evergreen tree is grown in Brazil, Egypt and Vietnam. Fruits are berries up to 1 cm in diameter with a characteristic purple hue. To prepare the seasoning, a thin inner layer of bark is used, which is dried, twisted into strips and cut into pieces. So the well-known cinnamon goes on sale. Seasoning properties - pleasant aroma and sweet taste.
There is also pseudocorica, this plant is called "cassia" in nature, and it is found in Indonesia and China. The quality of this product is much lower than the present, because all bark is used for its preparation. In addition, the composition of cassia includes coumarin in a concentration hazardous to human health.
Composition and contraindications
The spice contains a large amount of essential oils, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins and fatty acids. The calorie content of cinnamon is quite high, but it is consumed in small quantities, so there is no harm to the body.
Due to the content of a huge number of active ingredients, cinnamon is used in cooking, traditional medicine and cosmetology. Its properties are very useful for the body, as it has an antifungal, bactericidal, warming, disinfecting, antidepressant effect.
The properties of cinnamon to reduce weight and sugar in the blood, while normalizing the digestion process and the work of the heart and blood vessels, are very appreciated by nutritionists and adherents of alternative medicine. It is also worth noting that the spice is able to cope with colds and coughs.
Despite a number of positive aspects that cinnamon possesses , beneficial properties and contraindications complement each other. Individual intolerance, low blood pressure, advanced age, high fever, excitability - these are exactly the factors that should make you exclude this spice from the diet. Pregnant women should also refrain from consuming cinnamon for a while.
Cinnamon and traditional medicine
Cinnamon will help you keep your breath fresh. The properties of antimicrobial and antifungal effects have been known for a long time.
Gastrointestinal diseases, accompanied by nausea,
low acidity, flatulence and constipation, can be stopped if the spice is used regularly. For hypertensive patients, cinnamon is an excellent means of stabilizing pressure. The properties of spices to lower cholesterol are also very valuable. Only in this case it should be used together with honey. A bath with the addition of cinnamon will relieve the common cold. A feeling of fatigue and muscle tension will help relieve massage cream with cinnamon oil.