By Willie Jones

Cinnamon can reduce belly fat! Yes! That is what I said.

Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known to man. In fact it was considered more precious than gold. The early Egyptians used it for flavoring foods and for medicinal purposes and it’s even mentioned in the bible.

Today most people only think of cinnamon as a spice for apple pie or sweet potatoes and gingerbread cookies. But cinnamon is in fact so much more!

Quite by accident the Maryland USDA Research Center discovered the wonders of cinnamon. They were conducting a study on how certain foods affected glucose (blood sugar) levels in the body. When it came to apple pie (with cinnamon) they expected it to have an adverse effect on the body. To their utter surprise, it lowered glucose levels in the blood. This merited further study.

In December of 2003, the Dept. of Human Nutrition in Peshawar, Pakistan, a study was underway to determine how cinnamon affected glucose levels, triglyceride and good and bad cholesterol on 60 patients with type 2 diabetes.

The first group was given between 1 to 6 g of cinnamon per day and the second placebo. After 40 days the cinnamon group had a reduction in glucose levels between 18 and 29%. Triglycerides reduced by 23 to 30% and LDL cholesterol 7 to 27% and overall cholesterol 12 to 26%. In fact this group continued to register lower levels even after 20 days of not taking the cinnamon! The placebo group had no real changes. This is good news for diabetics and people with heart disease.

In a study done with rats, one group was given a high fructose diet with cinnamon and the other a lower amount of sugars. The end result was both groups did the same. Even though the rats ate high fructose, cinnamon causes the body to lower glucose levels and manage insulin levels and making it possible to shrink the belly fat.

If you add cinnamon to your daily diet either by sprinkling on foods or taken as a capsule or liquid herbal tonic, this may help you in the battle of the bulge. To speed up the process, add an aerobic activity or brisk walking, plenty of water and fresh vegetables and you’ll feel better and look better.

Cinnamon is a delicious way to help you lose weight. Happy eating!

About the Author: Willie is a freelance writer and researcher who’s dedicated in bringing information on health related issues. She is also co-owner of an online store, Clean Body Detox, which offers detox options and information.

cleanbodydetox.com

Source:

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