Cinnamon

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Dr. Wright has been talking about cinnamon for a while... and we've just been tapping our feet around here, waiting for it to catch on. While we're waiting, I thought I'd share a few more compelling reasons, some new and some very old, to add more cinnamon to your daily diet.

Recent research shows that cinnamon does more than just ward off diabetes and heart disease -- it also makes you smarter. That's what a recent study determined after administering cinnamon, both orally and nasally, to adults. Both "real" cinnamon and cinnamon flavored items, such as gum, were effective in enhancing the participants' cognitive function.

Cinnamon also reportedly:

* Supports digestive function

* Constricts and tones tissues

* Relieves congestion

* Alleviates pain, inflammation, and stiffness of muscles   and joints

* Eases menstrual discomfort

* Stimulates circulation

* Kills bacteria, including E.coli. In fact, it was used as   a preservative of meats and other foods before

  refrigeration.

One last tidbit that might intrigue you about cinnamon comes from Alan Hirsch, M.D., at the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. In his studies of how we are affected by our sense of smell, cinnamon has scored high as an aphrodisiac for males.

So whether your health improves, or your mental capacity, or your love life, or all of the above, it makes good sense to include cinnamon in your diet whenever possible.

Seasonally speaking, cinnamon gets left by the wayside in the summer months, after the holiday pies and other treats are long gone. But try adding it to your fresh fruit salads this summer. It will give them an extra zip of flavor and help boost your health at the same time.