Cinnamon: A Sweet Spice with Sweeping Health Advantages (4 of 6)
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Cinnamon can reduce blood sugar levels
Cinnamon can also help lower blood sugar. It does this partly by decreasing how much sugar reaches the bloodstream after eating a meal. This is because it can stop digestive enzymes from slowing down the breakdown of carbs in the digestive tract. It can also mimic the effects of insulin, which can help improve how sugars are absorbed by cells.
Cinnamon could help protect against neurodegenerative diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are thought to progress through a loss of structure and function within nerve cells. Cinnamon contains compounds that are thought to reduce the buildup of a protein in the brain called tau. This protein is one of the contributing factors in Alzheimer’s disease.