The benefits of the spice that conjures up images of warm apple pie are many. Just half a teaspoon has been proven to lower LDL or 'bad' cholesterol.

Three ways with... Cinnamon

The benefits of the spice that conjures up images of warm apple pie are many. Just half a teaspoon has been proven to lower LDL or 'bad' cholesterol.
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The spice that was worth more than ten times its weight in silver in ancient Rome, has a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for those with Type II diabetes. Cinnamon is a source of manganese, fibre, iron, and calcium.

Need added incentive to boost your intake of this anti-inflammatory spice that's helpful in the treatment of digestive disorders? Here it is: cinnamon is a top antioxidant and therefore has anti-ageing properties. But hold back on the cinnamon-dusted doughnuts, there are too many empty calories packed in there.

Sprinkle it over muesli
Cinnamon is an appetite suppressant and prevents sudden drop in insulin that can encourage the body to store fat instead of burn it. Sprinkling a little cinnamon over your bowl of morning muesli will help kickstart your day and get you to skip the post-breakfast slump.

Make a paste with honey
Mix a little cinnamon powder with honey, and apply it on bread or chapati, instead of jam. Honey-cinnamon paste helps reduce cholesterol and is said to reduce arthiritic pain.

Add some to butter
Beat four teaspoons of ground cinnamon, four tablespoons each of regular sugar and demerara sugar into half a cup of softened butter until creamy. Cover with a lid and keep refrigerated until ready to use. Perfect! Spread over toast or pancakes.

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