The benefits of cinnamon against obesity and hyperglycemia.

Spices have many advantages. In addition to being perfect ingredients to harmonize and brighten dishes, they have health benefits as revealed by many studies. For example, eating spicy food slows down the urge to consume salt.

Among the spices used throughout the world, cinnamon is very popular, and a study published in the December issue of Metabolism indicates that cinnamon could be enlisted in the fight against obesity.

THE VIRTUES OF CANNELLE
Cinnamon is a spice from the inner bark of Ceylon cinnamon. Produced in very large quantities in Sri Lanka, the cinnamon generally consumed comes from the Ceylon cinnamon variety (Cinnamomum verum), although there are other varieties.

Rich in cinnamic aldehyde, this organic compound of the phenylpropanoid family is a powerful antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antiparasite recognized. Depending on how much and how to consume it, cinnamon therefore has a capacity to stimulate the immune system, especially in the case of a cold or influenza.

Beyond the recognized benefits of cinnamon, the results of a new research by the Institute of Life Sciences of the University of Michigan (USA) determine how this spice - very popular in many recipes of drinks and pastry - could be enlisted in the fight against obesity.

CINNAMON STIMULATES THEMOGENESIS TO PROMOTE LOSS OF WEIGHT
Scientists have previously observed that cinnamic aldehyde, the main component of the essential oil that gives flavor to cinnamon, appeared to protect mice against obesity and hyperglycemia. But the mechanisms underlying the effect were not well understood. The researchers wanted to better understand the action of cinnamaldehyde and whether it could also protect humans.

Scientists have discovered that this compound affects metabolism in human cells. Their results indicate that cinnamal aldehyde improves metabolic health by acting directly on adipocytes (cells present in adipose tissue involved in fat storage), causing them to start burning energy through a process called thermogenesis. .

The researchers tested human adipocytes from volunteers representing a range of ages, ethnicity and body mass index (BMI). When the cells were treated with cinnamal aldehyde, the researchers noticed an increase in the expression of several genes and enzymes that improve lipid metabolism. They also observed an increase in Ucp1 (thermogenin) and Fgf21 (protein with hormonal function), which are important metabolic regulatory proteins involved in thermogenesis.

In fact, the adipocytes normally store energy in the form of lipids. This long-term storage was beneficial for our distant ancestors, who had much less access to high-fat foods and therefore a much greater need to store fat. This fat could then be used by the body during periods of scarcity or cold weather, which induces the adipocytes to transform the stored energy into heat.

Only recently has surplus energy become a problem. Throughout evolution, the problem of lack of energy has been the main problem, but any energy-consuming process is usually disabled when the body no longer needs it. With the rise of the obesity epidemic, scientists have looked for ways to induce fat cells to activate thermogenesis by reactivating these fat burning processes.

THE ANTI-OBESITY EFFECTS OF CINNAMON CAN LEAD TO THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES AGAINST OBESITY THAT WOULD BE BETTER RESPECTED BY PATIENTS
Finally, researchers in this new study believe that cinnamic aldehyde can offer such a method of activation. And because it is already widely used in the food industry, it may be easier to convince patients to stick to a cinnamon-based treatment than to a traditional drug regimen.

Cinnamon has been a part of our diet for thousands of years. So while it may help protect against obesity, it may also offer a metabolic health approach that is easier for patients to respect. Now, before anyone throws tons of cinnamon on their plate, and hoping to avoid unpleasant surprises, we need to wait for further studies to determine the best way to harness the metabolic benefits of aldehyde. cinnamic without causing side effects.

SOURCES

• "Cinnamaldehyde induces fat-cell-autonomous thermogenesis and metabolic reprogramming", Volume 77, December 2017, Pages 58-64, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0026049517302123
• "UM STUDY REVEALS HOW CINNAMON TURNS UP THE HEAT ON FAT CELLS", http://www.lsi.umich.edu/news-events/press-releases/um-study-reveals-how-cinnamon-turns-up-the -HEAT-on-fat-cells