Eucalyptus Uses for Skin Care

Kefir with cinnamon 

Reduce blood sugar level

To lower the level of glucose in the blood, it is recommended to drink a cocktail of kefir and cinnamon once a day (preferably in the morning, before breakfast).

It is quite easy to prepare it: in 250 ml of 1.5% kefir, you need to add a teaspoon of cinnamon without a hill, which is about 3 g.

Kefir with cinnamon improves metabolism, lowers the level of glucose and "bad" cholesterol in the blood.

Do not like kefir? You can dilute cinnamon in a glass of warm water or add to tea. At the same time, you should start with the use of 1 g of spice per day, gradually increasing its amount to 6 g in the absence of side effects.

In one study by members of the American Diabetes Association, the results of which were published in the journal Diabetes Care, it was noted that consuming cinnamon on an empty stomach for patients with type 2 diabetes in an amount of 1 to 6 g per day for 40 days reduces the level of bad cholesterol by 7 - 27%, glucose - by 18 - 29%, and triglycerides - by 23 - 30%. You will find a link to the study at the end of the article.

However, it is important to understand that we are talking about Ceylon cinnamon in sticks, and not about cassia (Chinese cinnamon), which we used to buy in powder form in supermarkets.

You may argue that cassia is very similar to ceylon cinnamon in smell, taste and appearance. What is the difference then?

Firstly, cassia does not have a pronounced hypoglycemic effect.

Secondly, Chinese cinnamon contains a large amount of a substance called coumarin, which negatively affects the liver and blood coagulation.

In fairness, we note that coumarin is also present in Ceylon cinnamon, but in much smaller quantities.

For comparison: the content of coumarin in Ceylon cinnamon is 190 mg / kg, while in cassia it is from 700 to 12,000 mg / kg.

If we talk about the permissible harmless daily norm of cassia, then it is about ½ tsp. With moderate use, cassia does not cause significant harm to health, which cannot be said about the systematic excess of the norm.

Therefore, do not spare money and get real Ceylon cinnamon in sticks, which you grind before using with a coffee grinder.

Tip: to facilitate the grinding of Ceylon cinnamon into powder, it is recommended to first dry the cinnamon sticks in a pan so that excess moisture comes out of them. Next, put the sticks in a bag and break into small pieces with a meat hammer, and only then grind in a blender or coffee grinder.