Cinnamon

Aug. 29, 2023

The research, conducted by Hyderabad-based ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), demonstrated that cinnamon’s active components — cinnamaldehyde and procyanidin B2– administered orally to rats had an inhibitory effect on early-stage prostate cancer.

About Cinnamon:

It is one of the earliest known spices mainly cultivated for the dried inner bark of the tree.
It is a native of Sri Lanka and is cultivated in lower elevations of Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
It is a hardy plant and tolerates a wide range of soil and climatic conditions.
Soil and climate:
- The tree is grown on laterite and sandy patches with poor nutrient status.
- It comes up well from sea level to an elevation of about 1,000 m.
- Since it is mostly raised as a rainfed crop, an annual rainfall of 200-250 cm is ideal.
Health benefits
- Researchers observed that cinnamon and its active components could mitigate oxidative stress and decrease the spread of cancer cells in the prostate gland.
- They also observed beneficial effects on bone mineral content and a decrease in bone degeneration in rats.