The Magical Properties of Cinnamon – 11 Interesting Facts | Welcome to Wicca now

The Europe-wide struggle for control of cinnamon

In the early modern period, the cinnamon trade was more than just trading in delicious spices. At this point, cinnamon was in high demand but still had only one source and that source was controlled by the Venetians. This meant that anyone who could find a source of cinnamon had to make a massive amount of money. Since money is always an extremely powerful driving force, many traders sought to find alternative sources of cinnamon.

Portuguese traders braved the Horn of Africa in the 15th century in search of cinnamon and made their way to Ceylon. When they arrived they found the cinnamon they were looking for, immediately enslaved the local Sinhalese and increased production. Massive amounts of money often seem to stem from extreme human rights abuses, don’t they? Sad but true.

In the 1500s, a Spanish explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, set out in search of spices for Spain. Perhaps they were tired of having to deal with the monopoly on spices and cinnamon, which was controlled by the Portuguese at the time. Ferdinand made it to the Philippines where he found Cinnamomum Mindanaense, which is closely related to True Cinnamon from Sri Lanka. This form of cinnamon became a rival to real cinnamon, weakening the position of Portuguese traders.

I doubt the early explorers got candy bars for energy, they should have tried cinnamon instead!

A Dutch trading post was established in Sri Lanka in the 1600s. The Dutch traders quickly took control of cinnamon manufacture and by 1658 had driven out the remaining Portuguese traders. The Dutch East India Company completely overhauled traditional cinnamon harvesting methods and began cultivating their own trees instead of harvesting from the wild.

The Dutch retained control of the industry until 1767 when Lord Brown of the famous East India Company established the Anjarakkandy Cinnamon Estate, which would become Asia’s largest cinnamon producing area. Through this estate and through their control of the maritime trade, the British took control of Ceylon from the Dutch in 1796.

Since the British takeover of the cinnamon industry, many other places have started producing their own cinnamon. This has led to an increase in the availability of cinnamon and today it is a spice that most of us can access at a reasonable price.

This is the original seal of the East India Compay which took control of the cinnamon industry in 1796.

The use of cinnamon in antiquity

Cinnamon was a highly prized commodity in ancient times. So much so that it was often given as a gift to reigning monarchs and even considered fit for the gods. According to Pliny the Elder, a Roman pound (327g) of cinnamon could cost as much as 1500 denarii, which is about 50 months of an average worker’s wages. At that time, cinnamon could be equated with a value of about 15 times the value of silver. You can see why it was a gift fit for the gods, right? Why would they want silver when they can have cinnamon?

How is cinnamon harvested?

Cinnamon is made by peeling the bark off the branches and then drying it. Cinnamon trees are planted, then when they are about 2 years old they are immediately cut back and the stump is covered with soil. This causes the stump to produce multiple sprouts over the next year, meaning more cinnamon to harvest. The many shoots are cut back and the bark is peeled off and left to dry in the sun. The peeled bark naturally curls up into cinnamon feathers as it dries. The quills are then cut, packaged and shipped around the world.

If you have a few minutes, watch this interesting video of a cinnamon farm in Ceylon.

What Are the Benefits of Cinnamon?

Disclaimer: We are by no means medical professionals and do not pretend to be. If you have health problems, we urge you to seek medical help. Please do not take any of this advice in place of a trained healthcare professional.

Cinnamon is rich in antioxidants that reduce the damage caused by free radicals and have the effect of slowing down the aging process. These antioxidants may also help reduce inflammation, which can reduce the risk of heart disease and cognitive decline, among other things. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, cinnamon has proven to be a wonderful natural pain reliever, especially for muscle pain.

If you’ve been a bit hard at the gym lately and this is the only way you can go down the stairs for now (we’ve all been there) and then try massaging your muscles with cinnamon oil.

One of the greatest benefits of cinnamon is its ability to improve heart health. It can lower cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high triglyceride levels. The reduction in high blood pressure is particularly noteworthy as it can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke.

Cinnamon may help increase blood flow, which improves tissue repair and supports the body’s natural healing process. Studies have shown that cinnamon can also help stop excessive bleeding by helping the body to coagulate blood and form blood clots.

Did you know that cinnamon is considered one of the best foods for diabetics? It naturally lowers blood sugar levels while improving the body’s ability to use the hormone insulin. It can also help block digestive enzymes that can cause sugar to be rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, resulting in a spike in blood sugar levels, which is something no diabetic wants. Cinnamon also sweetens foods, which is a bonus if you have diabetes and can’t eat sugar.

Cinnamon has natural antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties, all of which are extremely helpful in fighting disease and boosting the immune system. Cinnamon oil can protect against bacterial infections and can be very useful in fighting the common cold. These above properties can also help preserve food naturally (the ancient Romans were on a good thing) so you don’t have to use chemically-made preservatives.

Cinnamon could make you feel like this…

Does cinnamon give you energy?

I believe that cinnamon gives you a natural boost of energy. It curbs sugar cravings, meaning instead of an instant sugar high, you have more steady and sustained energy levels. It also increases your blood flow, which can help increase the speed of your metabolism, which should help give you an energy boost.

Next time you need a little boost of energy, add some cinnamon to your coffee. The cinnamon keeps your blood sugar levels stable while preventing high sugar levels followed by a crash. The caffeine gives you an immediate advantage.

Add a pinch of cinnamon to your next coffee to give you an extra boost.

Can you eat too much cinnamon?

Yes, actually you can! It depends on what form of cinnamon you eat. As mentioned earlier, there are two main sources of cinnamon. There is Ceylon cinnamon, which is considered “true” cinnamon, and there is cassia cinnamon. While both forms are safe to eat in moderate amounts, consuming large amounts of cassia can cause serious health problems. Cassia contains a much higher concentration of the compound coumarin than Ceylon cinnamon. Coumarin can damage your liver and increase your risk of cancer.

Be especially careful using cinnamon if you are taking medications that could affect your liver, such as: B. Paracetamol. Excessive intake of cinnamon in combination with certain drugs can increase the likelihood of liver toxicity and damage. As mentioned earlier, cinnamon can also affect your blood sugar levels. While it may help some people with diabetes always check with your doctor first

because in combination with diabetes medications they can cause your blood sugar to become too low.

What does that tell us? Cinnamon can be great, but like most things, moderation is key!

This is not the right way to consume cinnamon. Especially not when it’s cassia!

Which herbs bring good luck and is cinnamon one of them?

This is an interesting question that is often asked regarding cinnamon. Cinnamon brings good luck while also increasing the potency of the other herbs it is paired with. We wrote a whole article about herbs for good luck! Also check out Money Herbs for herbs that increase your luck with money.

Read Also: Lily Flower Meaning & Symbolism + Planting & Caring for Lilies

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