Cinnamon doesn't just taste good on rice pudding and can give coffee a special touch. Cinnamon is a true all-rounder and can be used in many ways in the household.
What exactly is cinnamon?
When people hear the word cinnamon, everyone immediately thinks of Christmas baking, mulled wine, or chai latte. However, the ground brown powder is one of the oldest spices, which, according to tradition, has enjoyed great popularity in China since 3000 BC. In the 15th century, Vasco da Gama finally brought cinnamon to Europe. It was considered a particularly expensive and precious spice and was reserved exclusively for the wealthy society.
A spice that packs a punch
Cinnamon is often used for refining drinks or alcoholic beverages. In India, it is also preferred for meat dishes. In Asia, cinnamon is mixed with other high-quality spices and finally cinnamon oil is produced, which is useful for flavoring liqueurs and as a fragrance for perfume.
How helpful is cinnamon in the household?
Despite its culinary pleasures, this versatile spice can also be quite useful as a home remedy.
- If you eat a teaspoon of cinnamon and then drink a glass of water, diarrhea can be relieved.
- Unwanted odors in the kitchen can often be annoying. The scent of fish, meat, and types of cabbage are difficult to remove, but with a pot full of water and a good pinch of cinnamon, you can solve this problem excellently. Simply let the water-cinnamon mixture boil – the unpleasant aromas are neutralized and a pleasant hint of cinnamon remains.
- Pests in the house? No problem if you use cinnamon. For example, you can very effectively drive away an ant trail with this spice. Simply place a small pile of cinnamon at the origin point of the colony and the pests will disappear. Why? Crawling insects cannot stand the smell of cinnamon.
- Goodbye sore throat. An ancient home remedy states that cinnamon sticks can soothe a sore throat. Simply chew on a cinnamon stick – this relieves pain in the throat and pharynx. Furthermore, cinnamon can also be used for flatulence, digestive problems, as well as inflammation, rheumatism, and lower back pain. It is also quite useful for cold symptoms.
- Medical professionals have now also discovered that cinnamon has a blood sugar-lowering effect. This can provide relief in the early stages of diabetes mellitus. However, you should discuss this effect individually with your doctor.
- Who would have thought? Cinnamon also has disinfectant properties. So you can also use the spice very well as an additive to your cleaning water.
When should you be more careful with cinnamon?
Anyone who is allergic to herbal pollen should also be careful with cinnamon. Cross-allergies in this regard have already occurred increasingly.
Also during pregnancy, one should use cinnamon very sparingly. The oil can, among other things, induce labor.
Studies have further shown that a certain proportion of the population seems to react quite sensitively to cinnamon. Why this is the case, however, has not yet been proven. The fact is, however, that liver damage and even an increased risk of cancer can be the result. Based on these findings, people should only consume a certain amount of cinnamon. A daily amount of at most 2 mg per kilogram of food
Reason: is recommended. In ready-made products, the significantly cheaper Cassia cinnamon is often used, which has a higher coumarin content than the higher-quality Ceylon cinnamon. Unfortunately, manufacturers are not obliged to disclose the types of cinnamon used, making it harder for the consumer to understand how high the coumarin content in the product is. By the way, the limit for coumarin is 0.1 mg per kilogram of body weight per day.
Caution: the limit is quickly reached for children. Therefore, children should not consume more than daily
- 4 cinnamon stars
- 1 gingerbread
- 200g rice pudding with cinnamon + sugar
- 2 cereal bars
- or 75g ready-made muesli
per day.
Read also: Recipe for a cocoa with cinnamon
Photo by Janine, meinhaushalt.at
