How a Scoop of Cinnamon a Day Can Help You Lose Weight

Studies have shown that including a scoop of cinnamon into your daily diet can help you lose weight. A teaspoon of honey and half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder added to a cup of boiling water can also help you lose weight and lower your risk of heart disease.

Health Benefits of Cinnamon

Cinnamon is rich in manganese, iron, calcium and fiber. It has been used since medieval times to cure diarrhea, indigestion and bloating. In addition, it helps prevent the spread of cancer cells, the formation of stomach ulcers, and assists in curing bacterial infections. Cinnamon lowers blood sugar levels along with bad cholesterol levels (LDL) while having no effect on the good cholesterol (HDL). Hence, it's beneficial for both heart and type 2 diabetes patients. The lowering of blood sugar levels and improvement in cholesterol ratios helps to reverse insulin resistance or pre-diabetes. Since cinnamon is sweet to the taste, it also satisfies the craving for sweet foods that generally afflicts diabetics.

Cinnamon and Weight Loss

Cinnamon has a regulatory effect on blood sugar levels and simultaneously increases insulin levels in the body. It imitates the biological activity of insulin and increases the metabolism of glucose. Since high blood sugar levels can lead to increased storage of fat by the body, cinnamon helps prevent this increased storage of fat and enables you to lose weight. In addition, it influences the manner in which sugar is metabolized by the body and prevents the transformation of the metabolized sugar into fat. Cinnamon also delays the passing of food from the stomach into the intestine. Hence, you feel satisfied for a longer time and eat less. This helps you lose weight. Cinnamon also helps the body to process carbohydrates more efficiently and this assists you in losing a few pounds. Studies show that abdominal fat is more sensitive to the effects of cinnamon than fat from other parts of the body.

Other Ways to Incorporate Cinnamon into Your Daily Diet

You can add cinnamon to herbal tea to get a cup of healthy and tasty tea. Alternatively, add a teaspoon of cinnamon to your breakfast cereal or oatmeal, sprinkle it on your toast or add it to your morning cup of coffee. The addition of cinnamon to foods such as butter and cheese, and pies such as apple and peach pies, enhances their taste. It can also be added to fruit juices and ciders for the same purpose. Alternatively, you can take cinnamon capsules as an easier alternative to the above.

You should ensure that the cinnamon you use is fresh. However, cinnamon alone can't help you lose weight permanently. For optimum results in your weight loss program, it's essential that you eat a nutritious but low-free diet and exercise regularly. Incorporating a teaspoonful of cinnamon in your daily diet can definitely reduce your appetite and help you lose weight and even layers of fat around your abdomen.

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