Cinnamon is actually more than a delicious addition to food. One of the oldest spices known and long used in traditional medicine, cinnamon is currently being studied for its beneficial effects on a variety of ailments. Indeed, recent findings on the power of cinnamon to promote health, in particular its benefits for people with type II diabetes, have elevated it to the status of a Super Spice.

Perhaps the most exciting discovery concerning cinnamon is its effect on blood glucose levels as well as on triglyceride and cholesterol levels, all of which could benefit people suffering from type II diabetes. In one study of 60 patients with type II diabetes, it was found that after only forty days of taking about half a teaspoon of cinnamon daily, fasting serum glucose levels were lowered by 18 to 29 percent, triglycerides by 23 to 30 percent, low-density lipoproteins (LDL) by 7 to 27 percent, and total cholesterol by 12 to 26 percent.

It isn't clear yet whether less than a half a teaspoon a day would be effective. It's particularly interesting that the effects of the cinnamon lasted for twenty days following the end of the study, leading to speculation that you wouldn't have to eat cinnamon every day to enjoy its benefits. The cinnamon-and perhaps other spices and certainly many foods-that you're eating today is affecting your future health. Cinnamon by its insulin-enhancing properties is not the only spice to show a positive effect on blood glucose levels. Cloves, bay leaves, and turmeric also show beneficial effects.

In addition to being a glucose moderator, cinnamon is recognized as an antibacterial. The essential oils in cinnamon are able to stop the growth of bacteria as well as fungi, including the common yeast candida. In one interesting study, a few drops of cinnamon essential oil in about 3 ounces of carrot broth inhibited the growth of bacteria for at least sixty days. By contrast, bacteria flourished in the broth with no cinnamon oil. Cinnamon has also been shown to be effective in fighting the E. coli bacterium.

A recent fascinating study found that just smelling cinnamon increased the subjects' cognitive ability and actually functioned as a kind of "brain boost." Future testing will reveal whether this power of cinnamon can be harnessed to prevent cognitive decline or sharpen cognitive performance.