Tag Archives: cinnamon

Five Ways to Protect Yourself from Deadly Antibiotic-Resistant Bugs

Posted on by

garlic2The unsettling news about antibiotic-resistant super-bacteria is gaining attention, as reports of outbreaks continue to surface in hospitals and other health care facilities across the nation. Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) appears to prey on those with compromised immune systems, Continue reading →

Use These Six Amazing Spices to Burn Fat Fast

Posted on by

Spices can turn mundane bland foods into culinary delights, and that’s their primary use in our modern world. Some “foodies” recognize how they support health as well, sometimes as an antioxidant, an anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antimicrobial, or a combination of any or all of those attributes.

But not many realize that spices can also help burn body fat. Continue reading →

The Foods That Can Kill Bad Breath

Posted on by

Bad breath can be a common and frustrating problem that nearly everyone experiences from time to time. For some, it’s worse than others. It can be the cause of social isolation and self-consciousness, lowering one’s confidence and ability to interact with others. Getting close to people, Continue reading →

Brew Up a Wealth of Healthful Benefit with Chai Tea

Posted on by
Reply

Next time you are savoring a creamy cup of Indian chai tea, here’s something to ponder: The characteristic spicy flavor is also what makes chai outrageously healthy. Cinnamon, ginger, clove, anise and black tea are super foods in their own right Continue reading →

These Five Superfoods Are Scientifically Proven to Halt the Spread of Breast Cancer

Posted on by

Though there is little meaningful talk about this important subject in the mainstream media, cancer prevention is something that every single person needs to be thinking about, especially in light of the excess of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), environmental chemicals, and other modern exposures linked to rapidly rising rates of this deadly disease. Continue reading →

Five Chinese Remedies for Osteoporosis

Posted on by

Osteoporosis needs no introduction. In Chinese medicine, doctors take a different approach to its causes and how to bring about some relief. Here are five pieces of health advice for those who have been diagnosed with this bone-weakened state.

1. Qi Bao Mei Ran Dan: an Herbal Powerhouse
The name of this remedy may sound weird, but it consists of powerful plants found growing wild in Asian hillsides and wetlands. The ingredients in this herbal formula, in English, include Lycium fruit, astragalus, dang gui, both white and red peony, and fleece-flower root. There is good evidence behind this one, too. In one study of 76 patients with osteoporosis, 57 people were improved, Continue reading →

Four Dangers of Mixing Drugs and Supplements

Posted on by
Reply

Any items you might take — herbs, dietary supplements, other natural products, or functional foods such as energy drinks and nutritional bars — can interact with each other and with medications. Doctors Health Press devotes its pages to natural remedies, but this is a reminder that you still must be aware of the risks of interactions. Or, at the very least, your doctor should always know what you are taking. Continue reading →

Killing Ants Naturally with Ant Exterminators from your Pantry, Garden and Fridge

Posted on by
Reply

It’s springtime and along with May flowers come infestations of every kind of ant, taking over house and yard. Many ants bite, and most are unwelcome visitors that are difficult to exterminate, such as carpenter and fire ants. How to get rid of ants without using toxic poisons around your home and garden? Natural ant control combines several natural products from your pantry Continue reading →

Improved Digestion Means Improved Mood, Immunity and More

Posted on by
Reply

Your body’s many systems all work together to create a peaceful flow, so when one system goes off balance it can trigger a domino effect, creating a cascade of health problems that follow. One system particularly responsible for optimal well-being is your digestive system — a strong, yet delicate ecosystem that relies on the presence of good bacteria and specialized immune cells to control the presence of bad bacteria or other harmful invaders. In fact, your digestive health directly impacts your immune health, and vice versa, since 70 to 80 percent of your immune system is actually located in your digestive system.

When your digestive system malfunctions, it can result in poor nutrient absorption and malnourishment, leading to a number of chronic problems and symptoms like acid reflux, indigestion and irritable bowel disease. In order to avoid these complications, it’s important to understand exactly what happens in your digestive system and how it is connected to other vital systems within your body that influence immunity, energy, mood and even behavior. Continue reading →

Treat Candida Naturally

Posted on by
Reply

Candida Albicans is a fungal yeast that occurs naturally in the human body. It naturally lives in harmony with a variety of other microorganisms and actually performs some important functions. The problem occurs when certain lifestyle based environmental conditions upset the balance of micro flora in the body. This allows the yeast to proliferate and dominate certain regions of the body. Certain lifestyle measures must be taken to conquer Candida and regain balance and health to the internal ecosystem.

Candida normally resides in the mucous membranes of the intestinal tract, mouth, throat and genitals. When overgrowth occurs, Candida has the ability to burrow holes in the intestinal tract and enter the blood stream. Once it gets into the blood stream it is able to make its way into any organ or region of the body. The worst part is that it emits over 70 different toxins into the blood stream and body.

Candida loves sugar and anything that breaks down into sugar. When Candida eats it releases toxic metabolites that acidify  Continue reading →

The Powerful Honey and Cinnamon Remedy

Posted on by

The combination of honey and cinnamon has been used in both oriental and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known to mankind and honey’s popularity has continued throughout history. The two ingredients with unique healing abilities have a long history as a home remedy. Cinnamon’s essential oils and honey’s enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide qualify the two “anti-microbial” foods with the ability to help stop the growth of bacteria as well as fungi. Both are used not just as a beverage flavoring and medicine, but also as an embalming agent and are used as alternatives to traditional food preservatives due to their effective antimicrobial properties. People have claimed that the mixture  Continue reading →

Essential Oils to Fight Superbugs

Posted on by
Reply

Essential oils could be a cheap and effective alternative to antibiotics and potentially used to combat drug-resistant hospital superbugs, according to research presented at the Society for General Microbiology’s spring meeting in Edinburgh.

Professor Yiannis Samaras and Dr Effimia Eriotou, from the Technological Educational Institute of Ionian Islands, in Greece, who led the research, tested the antimicrobial activity of eight plant essential oils. They found that thyme essential oil was the most effective and was able to almost completely eliminate bacteria within 60 minutes.

The essential oils of thyme and cinnamon were found to be particularly efficient antibacterial agents against a range of Staphylococcus species. Strains of these bacteria are common inhabitants of the skin and some may cause infection in immune compromised individuals. Drug-resistant strains, such as meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are extremely difficult to treat. “Not only are essential oils a cheap and effective treatment option for antibiotic-resistant strains, but decreased use of antibiotics will help minimize the risk of new strains of antibiotic resistant micro-organisms emerging,” said Professor Samaras.

Essential oils have been recognized for hundreds of years for their therapeutic properties, although very little is still known about how they exert their antimicrobial effects in humans. Australian aborigines used Tea tree oil to treat colds, sore throats, skin infections and insect bites and the remedy was sold commercially as a medicinal antiseptic from the early 20th century. Various scientific studies have demonstrated that essential oils are not only well tolerated, but are effective against a range of bacterial and fungal species. Their therapeutic value has been shown for the treatment of a variety of conditions, including acne, dandruff, head lice and oral infections.

The Greek team believes essential oils could have diverse medical and industrial applications. “The oils — or their active ingredients — could be easily incorporated into antimicrobial creams or gels for external application. In the food industry the impregnation of food packaging with essential oils has already been successfully trialed. They could also be included in food stuffs to replace synthetic chemicals that act as preservatives,” they said.

Cinnamon and Honey Cures

Posted on by
105


Honey is the only food on the planet that will not spoil or rot. It will do what some call turning to sugar. In reality honey is always honey. However, when left in a cool dark place for a long time it will do what I rather call “crystallizing”.   When this happens I loosen the lid, boil some water, and sit the honey container in the hot water, turn off the heat and let it liquefy. It is then as good as it ever was. Never boil honey or put it in a microwave. To do so will kill the enzymes in the honey.

Cinnamon and Honey
Bet the drug companies won’t like this one getting around.  Facts on Honey and Cinnamon:  It is found that a mixture of honey and Cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a ‘Ram Ban’ (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases.  Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases.

Today’s science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients.   Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada , in its issue dated 17 January,1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists:

HEART DISEASES:
Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack..  Also, those who have already had an attack, if they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack.. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat.  In America and Canada , various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.

ARTHRITIS:
Arthritis patients may take daily, morning and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week, out of the 200 people so treated, practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS:
Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.

CHOLESTEROL:
Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours.   As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS:
Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH:
Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root.

GAS:
According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that if Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM:
Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacterial and viral diseases..

INDIGESTION:
Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA:
A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ‘ Ingredient’ which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY:
Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Take four spoons of honey, one spoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans also increase and even a 100 year old, starts performing the chores of a 20-year-old..

PIMPLES:
Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS:
Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

WEIGHT LOSS:
Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. If taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

CANCER:
Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month three times a day.

FATIGUE:
Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts, are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M. when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week.

BAD BREATH:
People of South America, first thing in the morning, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water, so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS:
Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restores hearing. Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it!

Introducing – Cinnamon

Posted on by
10


Latin names: Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Cinnamomum cassia

Cinnamon is a small tree that grows in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam, and Egypt.

It’s one of the oldest known spices. To prepare it, the bark of the cinnamon tree is dried and rolled into cinnamon sticks, also called quills. Cinnamon can also be dried and ground into a powder.

The characteristic flavor and aroma of cinnamon comes from a compound in the essential oil of the bark called cinnamonaldehyde.

Although there are four main varieties of cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon and Cassia cinnamon are the most popular.

Ceylon cinnamon is sometimes called true cinnamon. It is more expensive and has a sweet taste. The quills are softer and can be easily ground in a coffee grinder. Ceylon cinnamon is sold in specialty stores.

Most cinnamon sold in supermarkets in North America comes from the less expensive variety, Cassia cinnamon. It has a darker color and the quills are harder. Unlike Ceylon cinnamon, it can’t be easily ground into a powder using a coffee grinder.

Why do People Use Cinnamon?

Besides using it in cooking, cinnamon is also thought to have health benefits.

In traditional Chinese medicine, Cassia cinnamon is used for colds, flatulence, nausea, diarrhea, and painful menstrual periods. It’s also believed to improve energy, vitality, and circulation and be particularly useful for people who tend to feel hot in their upper body but have cold feet.

In Ayurveda, cinnamon is used as a remedy for diabetes, indigestion, and colds, and it is often recommended for people with the kapha Ayurvedic type.

It’s a common ingredient in chai tea, and it is believed to improve the digestion of fruit, milk and other dairy products.

What is the Scientific Evidence for Cinnamon’s Health Benefits?

Recent studies have found that cinnamon may have a beneficial effect on blood sugar.

One of the first human studies was published in 2003 in a medical journal called Diabetes Care. Sixty people with type 2 diabetes took 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon in pill form daily, an amount roughly equivalent to one quarter of a teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.

After 40 days, all 3 amounts of cinnamon reduced fasting blood glucose by 18 to 29%, triglycerides by 23 to 30%, LDL cholesterol by 7 to 27%, and total cholesterol by 12 to 26%.

Preliminary lab and animal studies have found that cinnamon may have antibacterial and antifungal properties. It’s active against Candida albicans, the fungus that causes yeast infections and thrush, and Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria responsible for stomach ulcers.

Safety

People taking diabetes medication or any medication that affects blood glucose or insulin levels shouldn’t take therapeutic doses of cinnamon unless they’re under a doctor’s supervision. Taking them together may have an additive effect and cause blood glucose levels to dip too low.

Also, people who have been prescribed medication to manage their blood sugar should not reduce or discontinue their dose and take cinnamon instead, especially without speaking with a doctor. Improperly treated diabetes can lead to serious complications, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and nerve damage.

Cassia cinnamon, the kind of cinnamon normally found in grocery stores and in supplement form, naturally contains a compound called coumarin. Coumarin is also found in other plants such as celery, chamomile, sweet clover, and parsley.

At high levels, coumarin can damage the liver. Coumarin can also have a “blood-thinning” effect, so cassia cinnamon supplements shouldn’t be taken with prescription anti-clotting medication, such as Coumadin (warfarin), or by people with bleeding disorders.

Cinnamon can also be found in a concentrated oil form that comes from cinnamon bark. Some of these products are not intended for consumption, but instead are used for aromatherapy essential oils. Also, the oil is highly potent and an overdose can depress the central nervous system. People should not take the oil to treat a condition unless under the close supervision of a qualified health professional.

Pregnant women should avoid excessive amounts of cinnamon and shouldn’t take it as a supplement.

Managing Blood Sugar Emerges as a Top Concern

Posted on by
111


Managing Blood Sugar Emerges as a Top Concern

Consumers are very interested in foods that promote healthy blood glucose: 69 per cent of primary grocery shoppers are extremely or very interested in buying or using foods or drinks if they can help manage blood sugar. In addition, 43 per cent of primary grocery shoppers believe that “helps maintain healthy blood-sugar levels” is an extremely or very important claim on food labels, according to the 2009 HealthFocus Trend Report.

No disease is as closely linked to nutrition as diabetes. Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death in the US and contributes to higher rates of morbidity — people with diabetes are at significantly higher risk for heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and other chronic conditions.

Prediabetes is usually intertwined with being overweight and, of course, increases the risk by about 80 times of a bona fide type 2 diabetes diagnosis (not to mention heart disease). Indeed, blood-sugar issues and being overweight are usually the start of a host of health conditions. An estimated 121 million American adults (out of 184 million) are overweight, with about 60 million being actually obese — 30 pounds over their ideal weight. If trends continue, an incredible 80 per cent of Americans are estimated to be overweight by 2030.

About one-third of diabetics take supplements. The top ingredients include fibre, B vitamins, magnesium and chromium, according to Nutrition Business Journal.

A recent Swedish study found that taking a whey supplement with meals can help stimulate insulin release in type 2 diabetics. When diabetic subjects took whey at the same time as a high glycaemic-index breakfast and lunch, they had lower blood-sugar response and a higher insulin response. The findings suggest whey can help diabetics improve their blood-sugar control.

In another nod to the broad efficacy of vitamin D, insufficient and deficient levels of vitamin D may increase the risk of metabolic syndrome by 52 per cent, according to a 2009 Anglo-Chinese study.

This study backs an earlier study that found women in the 84,000-strong Nurses’ Health Study who consumed a daily intake of greater than 800IU vitamin D and 1,200mg calcium had a 33 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared with those to took in less than 600mg calcium and 400IU vitamin D.

Cinnamon makes insulin work more efficiently, which gets excess sugar out of the blood and into cells, where it can be burned as fuel. Cinnamon works in two ways. First, it inhibits the enzymes that cause insulin resistance. And second, it increases sensitivity to insulin.

Preliminary results from a University of Surrey clinical study found that the consumption of Hi-maize brand resistant starch, from National Starch, significantly increased insulin sensitivity in individuals with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.

“These improvements are actually bigger than you get with most blood glucose-lowering drugs,” says Denise Robertson, PhD, lecturer in nutritional physiology within the Postgraduate Medical School at the University of Surrey and the principal investigator of the study. “We are finding that subjects at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, such as those with metabolic syndrome, are more responsive to the insulin-sensitizing effects of resistant starch than people with normal blood-glucose levels.