Cinnamon in a Diet

Whether it's ground or dried, the spice cinnamon lends a sweet flavor to many popular recipes and dishes. Adding this herb to the diet may provide more than just the nutrients manganese, fiber, iron and calcium, though--research suggests that cinnamon offers a host of potential health benefits. Before adding any herbs or supplements, such as cinnamon to your diet, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine recommends that you discuss it with your doctor.

Blood Sugar Levels

People with Type 2 diabetes, a metabolic disorder that makes it difficult for the body to regulate blood sugar levels, could benefit from adding cinnamon to their daily diet, according to a 2007 review of studies published in the journal "Pharmacotherapy." The review reported that supplementing the diets of 164 participants with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes with cinnamon resulted in moderate decreases in blood glucose levels. Other research suggests that taking 1.2 teaspoons of cinnamon with meals significantly reduced rises in blood sugar that typically occurs after mealtimes.

Anti-Clotting and Anti-Microbial Properties

Adding cinnamon to your diet prevents blood clotting and reduces inflammation in the body, according to the George Mateljan Foundation. The oils in cinnamon also fight the growth of bacteria and fungi such as those that cause yeast infections, especially when taken in conjunction with anti-fungal medications such as flucanazole. Adding cinnamon to foods may also prevent food-borne illnesses. Research indicates that cinnamon extracts halted the growth of foodborne pathogens in carrot broth for up to two months.

Alzheimer's Disease

Compounds in cinnamon may benefit people with the degenerative neurological disorder Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the July 2009 issue of the "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease." When neurons in the brain die, string-like proteins called tau form, which interfere with memory and other cognitive processes. However, researchers from the University of California at Santa Barbara found that consuming a diet that includes cinnamon supplements may inhibit tau formation and improve Alzheimer's disease symptoms.

Cancer

Including cinnamon in your diet could fight cervical cancer. While examining the effect of cinnamon extracts on cervical cancer tumors, researchers from India discovered that cells treated with cinnamon extract were less likely to spread and more likely to experience cancer cell death, or apoptosis, according to a study published in the May 2010 issue of the "BioMedCentral Cancer" journal.

Longer Lifespan

Eating cinnamon-rich foods or taking cinnamon supplements could contribute to a longer, healthier life. Researchers who examined the effect of 30 different herbs on the lifespan of a type of transparent earthworm with 20,000 genes found that the antioxidants in cinnamon significantly increased the worm's lifespan. This information that could prove useful when developing longevity-promoting herbs for humans, researchers say, although specific effects on humans are not known.