Cinnamon is the bark of a tree.
People can put small pieces of bark in stews, desserts, and other dishes, or they can use ground cinnamon, for example, in cakes or on buns.
It is native to the Caribbean, South America, and Southeast Asia.
It is now the second most popular spice, after black pepper, in the United States and Europe.
As a spice, cinnamon is available in powder form or whole, as pieces of bark.
People can also use cinnamon essential oil and supplements.
Some studies have suggested that the compounds in cinnamon have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial properties, and that they might offer protection from cancer and cardiovascular disease, among other conditions.
However, more evidence is needed to confirm cinnamon's benefits.
Benefits
Improving fungal infections
Cinnamon oil may help treat some types of fungal infections.
A 2016 laboratory study found that cinnamon oil was effective against a type of Candida that affects the bloodstream.
This may be due to its antimicrobial properties.
If further research confirms these findings, cinnamon oil could play a role in treating this type of infection.
Influencing blood sugar levels;
Animal studies have shown that cassia cinnamon may reduce blood sugar levels, according to a 2015 review.
The review also noted that after 60 people with type 2 diabetes consumed up to 6 grams (g) of cinnamon per day for between 40 days and 4 months, they had lower serum glucose, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total cholesterol.
Another small study looked at the impact of cinnamon, calcium, and zinc on blood pressure management in people with type 2 diabetes.
Protecting against HIV;
In 2000, a study of extracts of Indian medicinal plants found that cinnamon may help protect against HIV.
Scientists tested 69 extracts in a laboratory. Cinnamomum cassia, or cinnamon bark, and Cardiospermum helicacabum, which is the cinnamon shoot and fruit, were most effective in reducing HIV activity.
In a 2016 laboratory study, scientists found that an extract from cinnamon showed anti-HIV activity.
This does not mean that foods containing cinnamon can treat or prevent HIV, but cinnamon extracts could one day become a part of HIV therapy.
