Health Benefits of Cinnamon

The health benefits of cinnamon include the following:

Brain Tonic: Cinnamon boosts the activity of the brain and hence acts as a good brain tonic. It helps in removing nervous tension and memory loss. Research at the Wheeling Jesuit University in the US has proved that the scent of cinnamon has the ability to boost brain activity. The team of researchers led by Dr. found that people who were administered with cinnamon improved their scored on cognitive activities such as attentional processes, virtual recognition memory, working memory, and visual-motor response speed.

Blood Purification: Cinnamon helps in removing blood impurities. Therefore it is often recommended for pimples.

Blood Circulation: Cinnamon aids in the circulation of blood due to the presence of a blood thinning compound in it. This blood circulation helps significantly in removing pain. Good blood circulation also ensures oxygen supply to the body cells leading to higher metabolic activity. You significantly reduce the chance of getting a heart attack by regularly consuming cinnamon.

Infections: Due to its antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral and antiseptic properties, it is effective on external as well as internal infections. It helps in destroying germs in the gall bladder and bacteria in staph infections.

Healing: Cinnamon helps in stopping bleeding. Therefore it facilitates the healing process.

Pain: Cinnamon is also anti inflammatory. It helps in removing the stiffness of muscles. It relieves pain and stiffness of muscle and joints. Cinnamon is also recommended for arthritis. It also helps in removing headache that is caused by cold.

Diabetes: Cinnamon has the ability to control blood sugar.

Heart Diseases: It is believed that the calcium and fiber present in cinnamon provides protection against heart diseases. Including a little cinnamon in the food helps those suffering from coronary artery disease and high blood pressure.

Colon Cancer: It also improves the health of colon and thereby reducing the risk to colon cancer.

Mouth freshener: Cinnamon is used in chewing gums as it is a good mouth freshener and removes bad breath.

Perfumes: It has a refreshing aroma and is extensively used in making perfumes.

Indigestion: Cinnamon is added in many ethnic recipes. Apart from adding flavor to the food, it also aids in digestion. Cinnamon is very effective for indigestion, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, diarrhea and flatulence. Due to its carminative properties, it is very helpful in removing gas from the stomach and intestines. It also removes acidity, diarrhea and morning sickness. It is therefore often referred to as a digestive tonic.

Respiratory problems: Cinnamon helps in cold, flu, influenza, sore throat and congestion.

Menstruation: Cinnamon is effective in providing relief from menstrual discomfort and cramping.

Birth Control: Cinnamon also helps in natural birth control. Regular consumption of cinnamon after childbirth delays menstruation and thus helps in avoiding conception.

Breastfeeding: It is also believed that cinnamon aids in the secretion of breast milk.

Cinnamon is diuretic in nature and helps in secretion and discharge of urine. It is also aphrodisiac and is believed to arouse sexual desire.

Essential Oils

Many essential oils have been found to elevate mood and produce a general sense of relaxation. One study found that nurses who used lavender, for example, had lower levels of stress.

Another benefit to essential oils is that they can be used to boost the immune system. It may come as a surprise that essential oils can "spike" the immune system - several studies seem to indicate that from aromatherapy increase good mood and also white cell blood count which in turn boosts the immune system.

Since essential oils have so many potential benefits, it may even be worth considering how to make essential oils yourself. People have been working with essential oils for thousands of years, and as a result, it should come as no surprise that there are a great many essential oils recipes to be found.

Working with essential oils can make a great hobby that is not only fun, but healthful at the same time. If you are interested in learning more about making essential oils, there are classes and books on the subject. Some of the more popular essential oils are peppermint, eucalyptus, Qaranfal and spearmint.

The basic process is to buy or build a still, which is a device used for distilling. Then harvest and select your plants. These plants should be in whole form ideally. Once you have dried your plants, you can distill them by boiling water and adding your plants into the still. The oil that is left in the still should be drained and placed into a container immediately for storage. And Voila! That is the basic process for making an essential oil at home.

There is indeed an entire science built up around using essential oils. There are several essential oils that are believed to help fight off infections, such as eucalyptus, oregano and cinnamon. There are many people who believe that essential oils can be used to help fight off colds before they even start. Peppermint, like eucalyptus, has been proven effective in clearing the respiratory system. The strong vapor produced the peppermint and eucalyptus is so effective that it is not uncommon to see these two scents together in cold season remedies. Aromatherapists often opt for organically produced essential oils, due to the fact that non-organic essential oils can often have concentrations of pesticides.

Essential oils are also often used to treat problems such as migraines. Obviously migraines are a form of pain; in particular, it is believed that migraines may be caused as blood vessels expand in the head. Thus anything that can reduce inflammation is a valuable tool in fighting migraines. Many migraine drugs are actually designed to reduce inflammation. There are many essential oils that are believed to have anti-inflammatory effects, such as lavender, ginger and chamomile.

Many of us also overlook our sense of smell. However, our sense of smell has been proven to have a powerful effect on our mood and psychology. Considering the fact that there are many diseases and physical problems that have an emotional and mental component, it makes a great deal of sense to count essential oils amount treatment options. The human immune system has been proven to respond when people are in better moods. There is growing evidence that our mood can affect our health and that there is a mind body connection. Essential oils used through aromatherapy seek to address those issues by boosting the immune system, and in the process maybe even preventing serious illness.

Benefits of Cinnamon Oil
Cinnamon oil is obtained from the bark and leaves of cinnamon tree. The benefits of cinnamon oil include the following:

Cooking: Some people add cinnamon oil while cooking. Cinnamon oil obtained from the leaves contains a compound named cinnamaldehyde, which is an excellent flavoring agent.

Room Freshener: The pleasant aroma of cinnamon oil makes it a very effective as a room freshener. It is often added in potpourris.

Eliminating Mosquitoes: Cinnamon oil is a good mosquito repellent. Research has now proved that cinnamon oil is very effective in killing mosquito larvae. Apart from the leaves of cinnamon, its bark is also a good source of cinnamaldehyde, which is an active mosquito killing agent. This research has paved the way for finding an environmentally solution for solving the global menace problem.

Many companies producing cinnamon oil claim that it is a good antibacterial and antifungal agent making it very effective on infections. It also helps in blood circulation and acts as a sexual stimulant. Research has also proved that cinnamon oil obtained from the leaves and twigs of cinnamon can be used for controlling mites in honey bees.

Being strong in nature, cinnamon oil should be avoided for internal consumption. Further, it can have adverse effects on the skin, if used topically in concentrated form and therefore it should be used in diluted form. Moreover before using cinnamon oil, it should be tested if it suits your skin. Hence apply only a small quantity of cinnamon oil initially and check if you get any allergic reaction. Do not apply cinnamon oil on the face and sensitive areas.