by Jon Herring
In this Healing Gourmet article, you've learned about the powerful blood sugar balancing effects of cinnamon. But this is not the only attribute of this holiday superfood. Cinnamon is also a potent anti-microbial agent exerting this function not only in the body but in food.
These properties are so pronounced that cinnamon can even be used as an alternative to traditional preservatives. The International Journal of Food Microbiology published a study where three drops of cinnamon essential oil was added to 3 ounces of carrot broth. The broth was then refrigerated.
The tiny amount of cinnamon oil completely inhibited the growth of Bacillus cereus, a food poisoning pathogen. This effect lasted for at least 60 days. When the broth was refrigerated without cinnamon oil, B. cereus flourished despite the cold temperature.
Not only did the cinnamon oil preserve the food, but it improved the flavor, noted the researchers. Seems like a good reason to keep some cinnamon oil around for the next pot of soup that ends up as leftovers.