There are no shortage of ways to eat cinnamon this time of year: baked into gingerbread cookies, sprinkled on top of hot chocolate, or simmered into mulled wine. But maybe cinnamon has benefits beyond simply being delicious.
People around the world have long used extracts from cinnamon bark in traditional medicine, for ailments including stomach problems and bad breath. Now researchers are investigating if cinnamon could help with more serious conditions, including type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. There is some evidence that there may be real benefits to taking cinnamon as a supplement, but so far the scientific evidence is scant — more research is needed.
Here’s an overview of what’s known about the potential health benefits of cinnamon, and how to supplement safely. Read on for ten things you should know about the health benefits of cinnamon.