Cinnamon Helps Fight Fat
Newly published research from the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute shows that cinnamon may help your metabolism in the fight against excess body weight.
Their study is entitled Cinnamaldehyde Induces Fat cell-autonomous Thermogenesis and Metabolic Reprogramming. Cinnamaldehyde is an essential oil that gives cinnamon its flavor, and it now appears that it may help in the fight against appears against obesity.
Researcher Jun Wu, discussing their study says, “Scientists were finding that this compound affected metabolism, so we wanted to figure out how — what pathway might be involved…in human cells.” This study, published in the December issue of the scientific journal Metabolism shows that the essential oil in cinnamon called cinnamaldehyde improves metabolic activity of fat cells causing them to start burning fat and energy through a process called thermogenesis. Fat cells store energy in the form of lipids. When the cells were treated with cinnamaldehyde, the researchers noticed increased expression of several genes and enzymes that enhance lipid metabolism. “Cinnamon has been part of our diets for thousands of years, and people generally enjoy it, so if it can help protect against obesity, too, it may offer an approach to metabolic health that is easier for patients to adhere to.”
This is the time of year when many Americans eat excess calories and expand their waistline- adding cinnamon to foods during the holiday season may help limit the extra pounds put on during the holiday season.