Spice Up Your Knowledge: Top 13 Fun and Fascinating Facts About Cinnamon

1. Cinnamon Gum: Breath Superhero

Feeling like your breath might be a toxic hazard? Fear not, cinnamon gum's got your back like a superhero in disguise: Chewing cinnamon gum for just 20 minutes can reduce up to 40% of oral bacteria responsible for bad breath, as discovered by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry.
Source => sciencenews.org

2. Cinnamon: Ancient Crypto

Before bitcoin, there was...cinnamon currency? That's right, folks, cinnamon was the OG crypto, shinin' brighter than gold in ancient wallets: This cherished spice was regarded as more valuable than gold and ivory, often gifted to kings and gods, as mentioned in the Hebrew bible.
Source => myspicer.com

Did you know Swedes consume a whopping 316 cinnamon rolls per year? Unravel the mystery behind the origins of this delightful treat and discover its global variations!

=> Fun Facts about Cinnamon-Rolls

3. Cinnamon: The OG Spice Girl

Cinnamon: the original Spice Girl that had the golden touch! This tantalizing diva of flavor actually held more value than gold in ancient times: Made from the bark of the cinnamon tree, it boasts around 100 different varieties and its essential oil contains wondrous properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-clotting and anti-infectious benefits, as well as a rich source of various nutrients.
Source => preparednesshub.com

4. Cinnamon: Sweet 'n' Spicy Siblings

Cinnamon, the spicy-sweet superhero of your spice rack, is truly the "Bart" and "Lisa" of the flavor world – offering two distinct, yet powerful, versions of itself to win over your taste buds: While sweet cinnamon, aka Ceylon cinnamon, comes from the inner tree bark and boasts a mild, delicate flavor ideal for your dessert dreams, its feistier sibling, spicy cinnamon, known as cassia cinnamon, holds court on the outer bark with a bolder, more intense kick perfect for savory showdowns.
Source => happyspicyhour.com

5. Clove vs. Cinnamon: Superhero Showdown

If clove and cinnamon had a superhero face-off, the cape-clad clove would come out victorious, chuckling at those who thought cinnamon would save the day: The fact is, clove actually ranks as the highest natural antioxidant due to its phenol content and ability to inhibit damaging oxidative processes, leaving cinnamon in the dust.
Source => todaysdietitian.com

6. Cinnamon: Health-Boosting Sprinkles

You'll really "c-innamon-k" when you hear this spicy fact: This delightful seasoning has been sprinkled into lives for centuries, known for sweetening up our health by boosting blood sugar control and putting a halt to inflammation!
Source => unitproj.library.ucla.edu

7. Cinnamon: Secretly Diverse

Who said cinnamon was a one-spice-show? It's spicy, it's sweet, and it's also secretly diverse: Of the hundreds of cinnamon types, four main varieties take the cake – Ceylon, Cassia, Saigon, and Korintje – with Ceylon being the only variety that's liver-friendly due to its low coumarin levels, and the lone cinnamon member to rock a soft, crumbly texture.
Source => cinnamonvogue.com

8. Sri Lanka: Cinnamon King

Feeling a little blue and looking to spice things up? You might want to cinnamon-der this fact: Sri Lanka single-handedly dominates the global cinnamon market, producing a whopping 90% of the world's most sought-after Ceylon cinnamon, known for its exquisite quality, color, flavor, and aroma.
Source => srilankabusiness.com

9. Cinnamon: Not Just a Latte Star

If you thought cinnamon was just for spicing up your Pumpkin Spice Latte, think again – ancient peeps were going nutty for this flavorful spice and treating it like a VIP gift: Esteemed since antiquity, cinnamon was often presented as a prestigious offering to monarchs and gods, and found extensive use in traditional Chinese, Indian, and medieval European medicine for a range of purposes – including treating colds and sore throats, enhancing complexion, and even acting as a painkiller.
Source => myspicer.com

10. Cinnamon Trees: Climate Chameleons

Cinnamon trees: the true chameleons of the plant world, casually throwing on disguises and globetrotting like a botanical Carmen Sandiego! The serious reveal: these spicy wonders adapt to all kinds of climates, thriving from the steamy tropics of Sri Lanka and Indonesia to the rocky soils of Florida, enduring frosts as chilling as 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and sprouting up happily in USDA zones 9-11.
Source => sabinocanyon.com

11. Cinnamon: Mummy Savior

Before there were mummies with jam in them, there were mummies that cinna-won the race against rot: Cinnamon was part of the ancient Egyptian embalming mixtures, with its antibacterial properties warding off decay in both human and animal remains, from humans to ibises and crocodiles.
Source => irishtimes.com

12. Cinnamon: Bacteria Kung-Fu Master

Cinnamon: the spice that launched a thousand lattes and the MVP of your grandma's prized apple pie recipe! This ancient flavoring hero does more than add flair to your chai, serving as nature’s kung-fu master against sinister bacteria: Loaded with antibacterial compounds, cinnamon doesn't just dazzle your taste buds but also takes on various pathogens, earning itself a spot in alternative antimicrobial strategies, while secretly moonlighting in oral health improvement, acne treatments, gastrointestinal issue remedies, and cardiovascular health enhancement. Fighting bacteria and spicing up your life? Talk about a double whammy!
Source => ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

13. Cinnamon: Surprising Medical Marvel

If you think cinnamon is just for spicing up your latte or putting a flavorful twist on your toast, prepare to be bamboozled by this humble spice's not-so-hidden medical marvels: Cinnamon boasts health-boosting antioxidants that can help sweet-talk blood sugar management in pre-diabetics and type 2 diabetics, potentially reducing fasting blood sugar levels, hemoglobin A1c, and the chances of waltzing with heart disease or stroke. Just don't go launching your medications into the stratosphere – cinnamon is no substitute for proper treatment, but it sure makes an intriguing sidekick!
Source => healthline.com