Once upon a time, there lived a princess who was looking for a way to lose weight. She was very beautiful, and people frequently told her so, but she knew that her weight was keeping her from being the most beautiful princess there ever was. So she started looking for ways to shed the pounds.
The princess decided to try out cinnamon, and she found that it did, in fact, help her to lose weight. So she decided to try out other sweeteners as well, and she found that they helped, too. This is when she began her weight loss journey.
The next question is…can cinnamon make you lose weight? We looked into this, and the answer is yes, it can. We will tell you how.
How Does Cinnamon Work?
Cinnamon has been used in East Asia for centuries to flavor food. It is a highly prized spice that is used in many Asian dishes, including cinnamon rolls, waffles, and steamed buns. It has also been known to give a faint, yet pleasant taste to your morning cup of coffee.
As for how cinnamon reduces your body weight, it does so by acting in multiple ways.
Anti-Nutritional Effects
Cinnamon is a very effective natural appetite suppressant. A study from the United Kingdom found that the average person who eats cinnamon daily loses about 4 pounds over a period of 3 months. So, not only does it help you to lose weight, but it also helps to keep you full. This is important particularly if you are trying to lose weight because, let’s face facts, most fad diets don’t provide your body with the energy it needs to sustain its activity levels. When you eat something that gives you a sustained burst of energy, you have a much better chance of losing weight and remaining at a healthy weight.
What is also notable about this study is that it concluded that cinnamon has more potent anti-nutritional effects than many other popular diet supplements, like acai berries and grapefruit. This is because cinnamon interferes with several key nutrients in your food, including iron, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and E.
Increases Thermogenesis
Cinnamon’s ability to increase your body’s thermogenesis, or fire rate, is also noteworthy. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, consuming cinnamon can increase your resting metabolic rate by about 10%. That’s a lot! Your body begins burning calories even when you’re sleeping, so this ability to increase your metabolism can help you to lose weight. It also helps to prevent weight gain, especially if you’re dieting or following a crash diet.
The medical community also agrees that cinnamon can be very helpful in treating type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. A study from the United Kingdom concluded that cinnamon improved glucose tolerance in subjects with type 2 diabetes. In another study, diabetic rats that were fed cinnamon saw improved blood sugar levels and decreased liver cell damage caused by the disease. Insulin resistance is also referred to as “pre-diabetes”, so cinnamon can be helpful in preventing or treating this condition, too.
Promotes Fatty Acids Uptake
Cinnamon is a natural appetite suppressant and antioxidant. These two key characteristics of cinnamon mean that it interacts with and helps your body to absorb fat more effectively. When you eat cinnamon, your body’s fat-absorbing enzymes become more active, helping it to metabolize fat more readily. So, in addition to helping you to lose weight, cinnamon can help to improve your body’s response to dietary fats, such as coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil.
Cinnamon has a lot going for it. Not only does it help you to lose weight, but it also acts as a potent anti-inflammatory, an antioxidant, and an agent that promotes healthy blood circulation in your body. If you’re looking for an easy way to shed those unwanted pounds, consider trying cinnamon out for yourself.