Cinnamon And Cholesterol Lowering Benefits & Health Effects

Get all the cinnamon and cholesterol connection explained in the following paragraphs.

Is cinnamon good to lower cholesterol?

Cinnamon could be added to the list of natural cholesterol reducers as numerous clinical studies have confirmed the cholesterol lowering effects of it.

This spice has been used for many generations in China and Japan, which explains why the people there did not have any type of cholesterol problem.

The components in cinnamon make it a unique spice. First of all, cinnamon has a very low number of total lipids (less than 0.07% in 100g of cinnamon). This is the reason why the total cholesterol levels are not increased when people start taking cinnamon.

In addition, cinnamon contains limited numbers of carbohydrates. It is estimated that in 100 g of cinnamon there are about 273kcal. This is relatively small number. The people who do not eat a lot of carbohydrates will have low levels of cholesterol.

The mechanism is quite simple. If you eat excessive amounts of carbohydrates, the body will store them as fats because the body does not need so many carbohydrates.

As cinnamon is low on carbohydrates, this explains why this spice does not contribute to the general increase in the number of carbohydrates that you have eaten. However, all these remain secondary mechanisms of action.

How does cinnamon reduce cholesterol levels?

The main cinnamon and cholesterol lowering mechanism of action is related to the large quantity of fibers, found in the cinnamon. It is estimated that 100g of cinnamon has about 54g of fibers.

Fibers increase the bowel movement and that’s why less cholesterol is absorbed by the body. If you consume cinnamon at least once a day, you will absorb less cholesterol trough your bowels. This will lead to a dramatic change in your cholesterol levels.

Furthermore, cinnamon is rich in vitamins, including: Vit. C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid and Vitamin A. These vitamins increase the metabolism of lipids and that’s why the cholesterol levels will be reduced.

Many of the vitamins serve as co-factors of enzymes. The enzymes are the proteins, which increase or decrease the metabolism of fats. Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6 and Folic acids are co- factors in the organism.

When the body has sufficient amount of them, the enzymes will work better and fast. Vitamin C and Vitamin A are natural anti-oxidants and that’s why they stop the formation of the oxy-LDL, which is in the center of formation of the atheromatous plaques.

Cinnamon and cholesterol - Dosage and supplements

A lot of doctors recommend taking about 1g to 2 grams of cinnamon each day. Although the dosages up to 6 grams are well tolerated by most of the individuals, however, you should not exceed this maximum dosage.

The reason is one of its ingredients, called coumarin because it has the ability to make you bleed. This could cause sudden bleeding, which is very hard to be stopped with the regular techniques.

Taking cinnamon as a supplement is the best way to use this spice, and a perfect way to know the amount of cinnamon you take each day. It is recommended not to exceed the dosage of 6g per day.

You can add cinnamon in you tea (you can prepare the tea with a cinnamon stick) or you can use it to make delicious cakes (in this case you can use cinnamon powder to make the cake).

Use Cinnamon and cholesterol and diabetes will be gone - the word of science

The latest studies have shown that cinnamon could be used as part of the treatment for diabetes type 1 and type 2. Cinnamon reduces the blood glucose levels.

It is estimated that cinnamon has a very potent insulin-like effect and that’s why the glucose is stored as glycogen in most cells. It improves the HbA1C levels, which are very important for the overall condition of the diabetic person.

Clinical trials have confirmed that cinnamon reduces the cholesterol, total triglycerides levels in people who take cinnamon for a period of 40 days.

The blood pressure will be reduced because of cinnamon, which is beneficial for both diabetes and cholesterol. The low blood glucose levels mean that not all carbohydrates will be transformed into fats. This partially explains why cholesterol levels will be also reduced.

Related: Hebs and Food for lowering Cholesterol