Cinnamon--the health elixir, By Tracey Vale

Scientists, nutritionists, natural therapists and health practitioners have long known the health benefits of cinnamon—but studies continue to reveal the spice as a health elixir for a wide range of medicinal uses.

Recent studies have created excitement in the field of diabetic treatment, weight loss, treatment of some cancers and as an anti-inflammatory to combat arthritis and heart disease.

Cinnamon has been used for thousands of years for the treatment of ailments. Chinese medicine, for example, uses the cassia variety to treat colds, diarrhea, flatulence, nausea and menstrual cramping. It is also used to improve circulation and to boost energy and vitality.

In Ancient Egypt, cinnamon was used in the embalming process due to its ability to inhibit bacterial growth and to fight certain bacteria. The Egyptians also used cinnamon for medicinal purposes.

In Ayurveda medicine, cinnamon is used in the treatment of diabetes, colds and indigestion. It is also believed to improve and aid digestion of dairy foods and fruit.

‘True’ Cinnamon

Cinnamon is derived from the bark of the tree Cinnamon Verum, native to Sri Lanka, the former Ceylon. This ‘Ceylon cinnamon’ is known as ‘true’ cinnamon. It is lighter in colour and softer in texture. Ceylon Cinnamon sticks resemble filled cigars, whereas the cheaper version, described below, is more solid and hollow.

Cassia, a related spice also derived from tree bark, is often sold as cinnamon and is the common form found in supermarkets. It is also known as ‘Chinese cinnamon’ and originates from Burma. Cassia is cheaper and less refined, being from a coarser bark, than Ceylon cinnamon. It is also believed to not have the full health benefits of true cinnamon and contains a toxin, coumarin, which, in high doses, causes liver and kidney damage. The point at which coumarin is toxic to humans is unknown. Ceylon cinnamon contains only a minute amount of coumarin by comparison and therefore doesn’t impose a risk.

Cinnamon Therapy

Studies continue to reveal the health benefits of cinnamon. The following are the most common uses and benefits of the spice and are based on studies, research, trials and natural therapy uses.

Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

Cinnamon regulates blood/sugar levels.

The first cinnamon/diabetes study undertaken on humans, was published in 2003 in the medical journal Diabetes Care. The study involved 60 Type 2 diabetics who consumed daily cinnamon in pill form, with amounts equivalent to ¼ to 1 teaspoon. The group was divided into three, with each group given a different dosage.

Remarkably, the study revealed, after 40 days, a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose levels, ranging from 18 to 29% for the three dosages; a reduction in triglycerides, ranging from 23 to 30%; a reduction in LDL (bad) cholesterol of 7 to 27% and a reduction in total cholesterol of 12 to 26%. HDL, or good cholesterol, was found to not be affected by cinnamon intake.

Anti-inflammatory Agent

Studies from the United States Department of Agriculture reveal that cinnamon prevents inflammation. The antioxidants found in cinnamon have been found to have anti-inflammatory effects, beneficial to arthritis sufferers (see below), and those with cardiovascular disease.

Treatment of Arthritis

Cinnamon has been found to significantly reduce the pain and discomfort associated with arthritis and could prevent arthritis onset.

A study undertaken by Copenhagen University, combined a daily dose of half a teaspoon of cinnamon with 1 tablespoon of honey, to reveal significant pain relief to arthritis sufferers after only one week. Within a month, mobility was vastly improved and the patients could walk without pain.

Treatment of Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease sometimes referred to as ‘Type 3 Diabetes’ due to scientists finding a link between inflammation and insulin function in those with the disease. Studies undertaken at the United States Department of Agriculture are working with this link to determine the effectiveness of cinnamon for Alzheimer’s sufferers. It is believed that cinnamon’s ability to boost insulin function and block inflammation will aid in fighting the disease.

Treatment of Cancer

The U.S Department of Agriculture in Maryland published a study which revealed that cinnamon reduces the rate at which cancer cells multiply in the forms of leukaemia and lymphoma cancers.

The combination of calcium and fibre, found in cinnamon, aids in the removal of bile, thereby assisting in the prevention of colon cancer.

Memory and Cognitive Function

Improvement in memory and cognitive function was revealed in a study where patients were only required to smell the aroma of cinnamon on a daily basis.

Doctors at Atlantic Health in New Jersey believe that cinnamon boosts alertness by increasing blood flow to the brain.

Treatment of Yeast Infections

Studies have shown that consumption of cinnamon can heal medication-resistant forms of yeast infections.

Improvement of Circulation

Cinnamon has an anti-clotting effect on the blood due to its blood-thinning nature. This, in turn, boosts energy and vitality.

Research on cinnamon combined with honey has been found to boost vitality and is especially good for combating afternoon fatigue. Mix a tablespoon of honey in hot water with ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon. Drink this daily at the time fatigue strikes and energy is said to increase within a week. For more remedies combining honey and cinnamon see:

http://www.naturalremediesforbetterhealth.com/honeyandcinnamon.html

Anti-Bacterial

A Kansas University study revealed, by adding trace amounts of cinnamon to unpasteurised juice, that the spice has the ability to fight e-coli. Studies have also revealed that cinnamon acts as a preservative, inhibiting bacterial growth when added to food.

Much earlier, as reported in Food Science journal in 1974, scientists discovered that as little as 20 milligrams of cinnamon per millilitre of a broth made from yeast extract and sucrose, inhibited growth of toxic mould by 97 to 99 per cent.

Nutritional Value

Cinnamon is a high source of calcium, iron, manganese and fibre.

Weight Loss

Cinnamon should be included as an integral part of any weight loss regime due to the following qualities:

• Reduction of blood sugar levels. The maintaining of healthy blood sugar levels is integral to weight loss as increases mean fat conversion for any excess.
• Maintains insulin levels, which goes hand-in-hand with the maintenance of blood sugar levels and in its importance for weight loss. The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that cinnamon’s effect in improving insulin function meant direct improvements in weight and lean body mass.
• Speeds up metabolism through the occurrence of a chemical reaction needed for digestion of cinnamon.

Treatment of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is undertaking research into the effectiveness of cinnamon for women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, a disease caused by insulin resistance and sensitivity. This causes unnatural hormone levels making pregnancy difficult to achieve, as well as a number of other symptoms including severe weight gain.

Cholesterol Levels

Although the diabetic study published in 2003 revealed a reduction in bad cholesterol levels in the blood, other studies have been inconclusive. There are a number of reasons for this including the dosage type and quantity. Also, it is argued that most of these studies used the cheaper form of Cassia cinnamon.

A study presented at Experimental Biology 2006, undertaken by the research team at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, however, backs up the hypothesis that cinnamon does lower cholesterol, as well as triglycerides and glucose.

Cold and Influenza Treatment

Cinnamon has been found to strengthen patients with severe cold and/or influenza symptoms. It is warming and also boosts immunity. Cinnamon has been used in Chinese medicine for the treatment of cold and ‘flu for thousands of years.

Cinnamon improves circulation and boosts vital energy needed to overcome viral ailments such as the common cold. A hot cinnamon drink stimulates circulation, induces sweating and can reduce fever and congestion. Oil of cinnamon is used in herbal medicine and is inhaled to aid healing from chest infections and colds.

Digestive Disorders

Cinnamon aids indigestion and relieves bloating and flatulence.

Other treatments

Cinnamon is used to treat skin conditions such as eczema, acne and other infections of the skin. It is also used in the treatment of asthma and for the relief of anxiety and nervous tension; excessive menstruation; bladder infections; and bad breath. Treatments are often cinnamon mixed with honey, with the properties of each contributing to healing.

How to regularly consume cinnamon

To enjoy the many and varied health benefits of cinnamon, simply sprinkle on your favourite cereal; over fresh cut or canned fruit; in or over reduced fat, healthy varieties of cakes, biscuits, muffins, bars and slices; over yoghurt or low-fat custard; over cholesterol-free, buttered wholegrain toast; over pancakes; and as a flavour enhancer in your favourite coffee, hot chocolate or tea. Also, the common ingredient of Chai tea is cinnamon.

Make Cinnamon Tea by steeping a cinnamon quill, broken up, in a cup of boiling water. Continue adding boiling water to the cup throughout the day, as the cinnamon will continue to infuse flavour.

Important to note

• Seek medical advice before self-medicating with cinnamon if you are currently taking diabetic medication, blood thinners or anti-clotting medication.

• Pregnant women should avoid cinnamon for the duration.

• Be aware of the liver and kidney risk associated with high doses of the commonly found Cassia cinnamon.

Where to purchase Ceylon cinnamon

There are a number of sources for Ceylon cinnamon online. These are two I have chosen for their available products, pricing and information.

http://indusorganics.com/retail/Organic-Spices.html

http://www.druera.com/shopping/index.php?cPath=2_19

And cinnamon supplements, or cinnamon in capsule form,

http://www.druera.com/shopping/product_info.php?products_id=109

It is argued that cinnamon in capsule form is more beneficial as the healing properties go straight to work without being effected by saliva, which can affect the powdered version.

How to differentiate between Ceylon and Cassia Cinnamon

The following site tables the differences between Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon and includes photographs of the quills and powdered forms.

http://www.ceylon-cinnamon.com/Identify-Cinnamon.htm

References

1. http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html
2. http://altmedicine.about.com/od/cinnamon/a/cinnamon.htm
3. http://cholesterol.about.com/od/naturalalternatives/a/cinnamon.htm
4. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/41026.php
5. http://www.naturalnews.com/030318_cinnamon_colds.html
6. http://www.herbalremediesinfo.com/CINNAMON.html
7. http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/honey.html

The dawning of grief, By Tracey Vale

On a mild summer’s day, the faded blue-grey Holden station wagon pulled up behind the oval. My three brothers and I stood at the edge of the gravel car-park, set between the Primary and Junior Primary Schools in Belair, waiting for the old blue Volkswagon, with its two big peeling flowers decorating the bonnet, to pull up, Mum at the wheel. But it wasn’t Mum at the wheel and it wasn’t the Volkswagon, or ‘Bonkswagon’ as my little brother, Ricky called it.

Dad leaned his lanky frame over to open the rear door. I slid across the red vinyl seat and waited for an explanation as my brothers settled in also.

I don’t remember the actual telling of my little cousin’s sudden death. I’m not sure if he told us in the car in the school car-park, or if he waited until we got home, or if it was Mum who told us. What I do remember is returning home that day, coming through the back door and standing in the kitchen to hear an unfamiliar sound. Down the passage, in their bedroom, Mum was sobbing.

I had only heard that sound once before—when Grandad died, my father’s father. I recall thinking this, at the sound, and associating it with the event of something terrible. A death. It is with the recollection of this thought, this realisation that something serious was afoot, that I believe we were not told until we were home and Mum could be there as well. I remember seeing her there, sitting hunched on the edge of the bed.

Although I can’t recall the telling, I can recall the details. I can still picture the playing out of events in the same way I’d pictured it then. I saw Jeanie, dressed in a short skirt and white cardigan, socks and brown shoes, as she passed through the gate in the side fence that separated them from their neighbours. I saw my Aunt waving her goodbye, Jeanie’s little sister, Laurie, leaning against her leg.

The next view is of Jeanie sitting behind the front passenger seat, her seatbelt unattached beside her.

In the front seat was a boy, though I can’t recall his name, with a box on his lap. It is his mother who is driving them to kindergarten. It made sense for the neighbours, who were also good friends, to take turns at delivering their same-age children to the centre.

I can see the scenery as Jeanie would have seen it. Country roads and slanting sun through properties studded with stately gums. The road they are on now falls away at the edge. The ground is dry with straw-coloured, long, fine grass and dappled with light filtering easily through the gum trees.

The boy lifts the lid on his box to check on its contents. He had found and caught a frog from the creek and was excited at the prospect of showing it off at kindy. The frog leapt from the box toward the driver. She screamed in fright and waved an arm, agitated and in an attempt to keep it away. As the car hit the edge of the road, she lost control. It rose up on its two side wheels, as though in slow motion, over-balanced and barrelled down the siding.

Jeanie had been thrown from the car at the first force of the roll. I can picture the side window shattering with the impact, the blood on tiny bits of broken glass. Her body landing on the grass, as though she was sleeping on her side, and the car continuing it’s roll over her tiny body.

I understood she was crushed but I didn’t picture her like that. I saw her in that sleeping position on the grass, scratched and a little bruised, her hair messed up with bits of twigs and leaves.

In the background I can see the ambulance crew, a passer-by and the police. The driver and her son have been pulled from the car, unscathed. The boy looks shell-shocked and terrified, believing, perhaps, that this is all his fault. The boy’s mother is screaming and stretching one arm out toward Jeanie’s unmoving body. An ambulance officer has an arm firmly around her bent form, preventing her from moving toward the girl. The other hand is swiping at her face, up and down as she weeps, her mouth malformed in its shock and thoughts of Jeanie’s mother. Thoughts of what this meant. The unreality of it. The finality.

I didn’t cry when Jeanie died. I don’t think I cried when Grandad died either. I was too young. I remember being curious about how it had happened. I was told he’d suffered a heart attack just as he sat down to the evening meal. I remember asking Grandma, visualising the meal of peas, mashed potato and a lamb chop, if his face had landed in the peas. I think now that I could recall that question because I realised afterwards that I shouldn’t have asked it. Mum had gently admonished me as she stood to one side of Grandma’s kitchen door, and Grandma, standing in the doorway, simply looked at me. I can’t recall if she answered.

This is not to say I didn’t care or feel sad. I did feel these things and I understood the sadness and solemnity of death—I was always a very caring, deeply feeling and empathetic child but I was simply too young to fully comprehend. I understood that there was grief and loss and that a gaping hole remained in the lives of those left behind, especially for the parents of a child. But I think deeper feelings of grief and loss come only with an older child.

I was in high school when my Grandmother died. I felt crushed and overwhelmingly grieved. I didn’t know how I would ever get over never being able to see her again. The finality.

As has happened often, at various stages in my life, it brought back Jeanie’s death and how my aunt and uncle must have felt. How deep their grief must have been and continues to be. But still, I didn’t have the complete comprehension of this—and couldn’t have until I was a parent.

I thought of Jeanie when I had my first daughter. I thought of her again when I had my second daughter. I thought about Laurie and what she had missed without her older sister by her side, through the good or the bad.

Mostly, though, I thought about the sadness of that loss for her parents. 

I had a friend who lived in Gould Creek, just near where Jeanie had lived in One Tree Hill. When I visited this friend, I drove past the One Tree Hill Cemetery where Jeanie is laid to rest. I remember the funeral and, later, posing by her grave. My aunt had asked for this symbol of sadness and contemplation—a child considering the loss of another child. The photograph shows me kneeling by the grave, my head bent in solemnity.

With my two daughters safely buckled in to the backseat of my car, I cried then, as I passed those cemetery gates. I can’t imagine picking myself up after the loss of a child. How was it ever possible to cope with that? I recall the newspaper article with a picture of my aunt and uncle, heads bent over the framed pictures of Jeanie’s kindergarten artwork. I have great respect for those who have been forced to overcome such adversity. To get to the other side of great pain and loss and move forward, despite that gaping hole still being there and despite the fact that they can never truly get over such loss.

R.I.P. Jeanie Marie Talbot

Australian cities rank high in Mercer cost of living survey, By Tracey Vale

Recent spiralling housing costs, rate hikes and increased bank rates are just the tip of the iceberg when considering the recent pressures put on Australian families. Diana Mathew, of The Money Tree, says “Re-addressing the household budget to include a savings plan, has become essential to combat these rising costs”.

Australian cities ranked high in the Mercer worldwide cost of living survey in 2010, with the cost of living set to outpace inflation—a major problem for middle-income Australia. In 2011, Australian cities have ranked even higher.

With the major contributor to increased costs coming from housing, other expenses have stemmed from increases in power costs, water, council rates, communication, education, fuel, groceries, transport and entertainment.

“With Australian cities such as Sydney and Melbourne ranking as considerably more expensive than New York, London, Milan and Paris, and with the added housing pressures, it is critical that middle-income Australia can manage their budgets effectively to ease the burden,” said Mathew.

A key to this, she says, is combating inflation. Prepare your budget with a savings plan in mind.

“If you are not saving then you are merely working to pay your bills,” said Mathews. A savings plan of 10 percent of your income, coupled with compound interest, will add up to a considerable nest egg. “With even smarter investing, it could easily be increased tenfold!”

“Smart savers will be asking about the effect of inflation and how they can counteract it,” she said. To do this, keep an eye on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

“If your wage doesn’t increase during an extended period of inflation, you will need to increase your percentage of savings to keep pace with the CPI.”

The 2011 Mercer Cost of Living Survey is the worlds most comprehensive and uses New York as its base, comparative city. While New York is ranked at 32, Sydney has risen 10 places to sit at the fourteenth most expensive city in the world, out of 214 surveyed.

Melbourne has risen to 21, Perth, 30—a rise of 30 places since 2010; Brisbane, 31; and Canberra, 34—a rise of 40.

Adelaide moved up 44 places—the country’s biggest increase—to 46.

“In addition to the strengthening of the currency, a dramatic increase in rental prices has also pushed Australian cities up the ranking, especially in Adelaide where market supply is extremely low,” said Nathalie Constantin-Mĕtral, Senior Researcher at Mercer.