What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of
Hot Tamales or Fireballs…most likely its cinnamon! From jelly beans to spiced
breads, cinnamon is found in a wide range of today’s foods. Behind this
distinctive smell and taste is cinnamaldehyde a common organic compound. As a
pure compound, cinnamaldehyde is a viscous pale yellow liquid which is
naturally found in the bark of cinnamon trees1.
Cinnamaldehyde is also associated with several health
benefits. In addition to imparting its unique flavor, it is used as a
fungicide, an antimicrobial agent, and as an anticancer agent (albeit in levels
unachievable through dietary intake). These health benefits help explain why
cinnamon is a commonly used in Chinese herbal medicine2. Due to cinnamon’s powerful properties, the
popular gum Big Red, in addition to having its powerful cinnamon flavor also effectively
prevents oral bacterial growth by greater than 50%1. Looks like we
should all be adding more cinnamon to our diets!
References:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamaldehyde
- http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/cinnamaldehyde/cinnc.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment