Cinnamon is a much-loved staple in our kitchens, and is commonly found in our cookies, cakes, pastries, pies, breads, oatmeal, cinnamon toast, and applesauce. Amazingly, cinnamon not only tastes good, but it has numerous health benefits as well! We’ve assembled eight of our favorite uses for cinnamon (using 10 recipes), to help you take full advantage of this tasty, healthy treat, and add more of it to your daily lives.
 
Teas. Cinnamon is often used in chai teas, and can be used to smooth out some of the more sour teas. Cinnamon adds a sweet, warm element, which helps to round out the flavor. Check out this recipe from the folks at LiveStrong, which also goes into the numerous health benefits of cinnamon tea.

Coffee. Cinnamon is a healthy alternative to traditional sweeteners, and is commonly used in coffee to liven up the taste! If you use cinnamon in your coffee instead of cream or sugar, you could save more than 70 calories per cup, and gain a super metabolism boost!

Healthy Treats. Cinnamon has always been associated with sweet, rich baked goods…especially around the holiday season. Here are our favorite, delicious, healthy recipes that showcase this versatile spice: Banana Bran Muffins, Multi-Grain Waffles, and just for good measure (although not quite as healthy) Clone a Cinnabon Cinnamon Bun!
 
Nut Butters. Cinnamon-flavored nut butters are simply delightful, and a healthy, protein-rich alternative to regular butter. One of the more common is Cinnamon Almond Butter.  
 
Oatmeal. Most people know how cinnamon can take bland oatmeal and liven it up with just the right amount of sweetness! But you may not have known that cinnamon can improve your brain function...something we all need in the morning!

​A new study, released by the New York School of Career and Applied Studies has shown that as little as a tablespoon of cinnamon a day could help protect people from viral infections, such as the flu. 
 
The study analyzed the effects of botanic extracts such as cinnamon, onion, garlic, and peppermint on pathogens. Cinnamon resulted in the deactivation of 99.9 percent of viruses in lab tests, while the other extracts had no significant effect. The cinnamon actually damaged the structure of the virus, eliminating its ability to infect people and cause sickness.
 
Dr. Milton Schiffenbauer presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. You can read more about Dr. Schiffenbauer’s previous research at the New York School of Career and Applied Studies’ website. 

When not being used for the cinnamon challenge, the list of ailments that cinnamon can actually improve is endless. Here are the top 6 reasons why you need to add more cinnamon to your diet:
 
1. Cinnamon Helps Fight Diabetes. Research has suggested that cinnamon can help improve blood glucose levels and increase insulin sensitivity.  Results from a clinical study published in the Diabetes Care journal show that a daily intake of just 1 gram of cinnamon was shown to reduce both glucose and “bad” cholesterol after just 40 days among middle-aged diabetics. Another study published in Agricultural Research Magazine found that the same gram of cinnamon per day can help manage, or even reverse, type 2 diabetes.
 
2. Cinnamon can improve learning ability and memory. Studies in lab mice found that after ingesting cinnamon, the mice metabolized the spice into sodium benzoate, which is used as a drug treatment for brain damage. This led to improved memory and learning among mice previously determined to be “poor learners.” The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Alzheimer’s Association. In human tests, cinnamon was shown to improve scores on attention span, virtual recognition memory, working memory, and visual-motor response speed.
 
3. Cinnamon Soothes Arthritis. In a study of 122 spices and herbs for efficiency in the reduction of uric acid levels, extract of cinnamon was found to be the most effective for suppressing the enzyme that is responsible for the production of uric acid.
 
4. Cinnamon Lowers Risk of Having a Heart Attack. A clinical study with rats found that after ingesting a sugar solution to raise their blood pressure, rats that then received a dosage of cinnamon had reduced blood pressure, whereas the rats that were given a placebo did not. Cinnamon also improves circulation due to the presence of a blood-thinning compound in it, which ensures adequate oxygen supply to the body’s cells, and reduces pain.
 
5. Cinnamon Reduces Pain. Cinnamon is also an anti-inflammatory substance, which helps reduce stiffness in muscles and joints, and helps reduce the effects of tension and sinus pressure headaches.
 
6. Cinnamon Aids in Digestive Health.  Due to cinnamon’s carminative properties, it is especially effective at aiding indigestion, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, diarrhea, and flatulence. Cinnamon does this by eliminating excess gas from the stomach and intestines, while countering acidity.
 
When confronted with such a long list of healing attributes, why wouldn’t you want to add cinnamon to your daily diet? Cinnamon has long been used as a healthy alternative to sugar in coffees and teas, and is commonly sprinkled over oatmeal and cereal. Whether you find it in a jar, or in a packet, you’ll want more cinnamon in your diet today!