How to Use Cinnamon Sticks
The bottom line
Cinnamon sticks can be made into cinnamon stick tea or crushed into a fine powder and sprinkled over food. Research doesn't clearly support using cinnamon for any health condition, and it's unclear whether cinnamon supplementation is helpful for diabetes or weight loss.
This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.
Key takeaways
- Cassia cinnamon is the most common type sold in North America, and some cassia cinnamon products contain high levels of coumarin.
- Prolonged use of cassia cinnamon could be an issue for sensitive people, such as those with liver disease.
- If you take any type of medicine, talk with your health care provider before using cinnamon or other herbal products.
- It is very important not to replace medical treatment for diabetes with an unproven health product or practice.
- Some studies suggest cinnamon is safe during pregnancy in amounts commonly found in foods, but Ceylon cinnamon in larger amounts during pregnancy is considered unsafe.
Have you made use of cinnamon sticks? Do you know how to use cinnamon sticks?
I will be honest with you; I hadn’t used cinnamon sticks before and had no idea how to use them.
However, when I heard that cinnamon is beneficial for health and can also play a role in weight loss, I was eager to learn more about them.
In this article, I will share with you the information that I was able to collect about cinnamon sticks and tell you how you can use this spice.
How to Make Cinnamon Sticks
Making cinnamon sticks isn’t that difficult. All you need is bread, margarine or butter, sugar, and some cinnamon in powdered form.
-
Cut the bread into sticks after removing its crust.
-
Melt the butter in a saucepan and mix the sugar and the powdered cinnamon on a plate.
-
Coat butter onto the sticks of bread by dipping them into the melted butter and then roll them in the mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
-
Place the cinnamon sticks in a baking tray and bake them in a preheated oven until they become crisp.
Cinnamon Sticks Usage Example (Tea Recipe)
Cinnamon sticks can be used in several ways.
I particularly like making cinnamon stick tea as it just takes half an hour to make and is extremely refreshing and healthy.
- To make cinnamon stick tea, you need to take one and a half cups of water in a pan and add a cinnamon stick into it after crushing it into small pieces.
- Slowly boil the mixture for about 15 minutes until the water attains a pale yellow color.
- Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes until the water becomes golden red in color.
- Strain the tea and reheat it a little before serving.
Cinnamon Sticks Health Benefits
Cinnamon sticks have a dozen health benefits to offer.
I found many studies on the internet that suggested that this spice was extremely effective in promoting a healthier lifestyle.
The following are some of the chief health benefits that you can avail of by including cinnamon sticks in your daily diet.
Blood Sugar Control
Cinnamon sticks have been known to bring down blood sugar levels.
The World’s Healthiest Foods states that cinnamon can slow down the stomach’s emptying rate after a meal, which in turn helps minimize the increase in blood sugar.
Some studies suggest that cinnamon might help with blood sugar control, but most of these studies have limitations, leading to no clear conclusions.
It’s very important not to replace medical treatment for diabetes with an unproven health product or practice.
You can read more about this in my article: Does Cinnamon Lower Blood Sugar & Help You Fight Diabetes?
Cinnamon and Cancer
Cinnamon sticks are sometimes linked to cancer prevention as well, but research doesn’t clearly support using cinnamon for any health condition.
According to Organic Authority, there is evidence available which points towards cinnamon having potential anti-carcinogenic properties.
However, no herbal products have been shown to be effective for treating cancer.
Although the research conducted on the possible cancer-preventive effects of cinnamon is pretty limited, experiments conducted on animals have shown that cinnamon can inhibit cancer cell growth and even result in cancerous cell death.
Cinnamon and Multiple Sclerosis
Some sources say cinnamon sticks help with Multiple Sclerosis, a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder, but research doesn’t clearly support using cinnamon for any health condition. There’s no cure for MS, but there are treatments that can reduce the number and severity of relapses.
Medical News Today maintains that cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help stop the progression of Multiple Sclerosis.
Sodium benzoate, a metabolite of cinnamon, can stop the production of inflammatory molecules in brain cells.
Moreover, direct evidence that dietary supplements can prevent Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia is lacking.
Arthritis Pain Relief
People have maintained for a long time that cinnamon sticks can help in relieving arthritis pain.
Now, science too has proven that cinnamon might have a role to play in arthritis pain relief.
According to Cinnamon Vogue, cinnamon sticks are rich in manganese utilized by the body to build connective tissues, blood, and, most importantly, bones.
People who suffer from manganese deficiency are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions like arthritis and osteoporosis.
Cinnamon and Heart Disease
While researching the health benefits of cinnamon sticks, I found out that this spice can help in reducing the risk of heart disease.
Authority Nutrition states that cinnamon sticks can decrease LDL cholesterol levels (bad cholesterol) in the body while maintaining the levels of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol).
Studies have shown that you only need to consume just 120 mg of cinnamon per day to lower your LDL cholesterol.
Even so, research doesn’t clearly support using cinnamon for any health condition. To help get your cholesterol levels into the healthy range, you may need heart-healthy lifestyle changes or medicines.
Cinnamon Sticks for Weight Loss
Aside from the other health benefits of cinnamon sticks, it is promoted for weight loss as well.
However, this does not mean that using cinnamon is going to decrease your weight drastically.
Cinnamon sticks can slow down your metabolism, thus making you feel full.
This would stop you from eating more which in turn would keep your weight in check.
In addition to this, cinnamon also helps in the digestion of food, which also prevents you from overeating.
So, all in all, cinnamon sticks can impact your weight, but if you don’t pair them up with a well-balanced diet and regular exercise, you won’t be able to lose weight.
The most popular recipe for weight loss and cleansing detoxification is with Cinnamon and Honey.
Where can you buy cinnamon?
There are various places you can order good and quality cinnamon. But, for a detailed review of the best cinnamon brands, you can visit my page here.
Conclusion
In short, cinnamon sticks can be used in several ways.
You can either use them by making cinnamon stick tea or sprinkling them over your food after crushing them into a fine powder.
I would recommend using the tea as both healthy and refreshing and can prove to be a good energy drink.
It’s unclear whether cinnamon supplementation is helpful for diabetes or weight loss.
If you have any questions regarding the use of cinnamon sticks, ask them in the comments section below.
