Cinnamon not just a spice

Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus cinnamomum. It has a warm sweet flavour. The best cinnamon is cylon cinnamon. Much of the cinnamon sold is cassia cinnamon which is not good for health.
Cylon cinnamon is considered true cinnamon. It comes from the plant Cinnamomum Zeylanicum. An alternate name is Cinnamomum Verum.
The term cassia never refers to cylon cinnamon but rather to cinnamomum cassia and cinnamomum burmanii.
Cylon Cinnamon is typically more expensive than any of the cassia versions. True cinnamon and cassia come from the same family of plants, thus they share many characteristics. What they don't share is their coumarin content. Coumarins are naturally occurring plant components that can be quite toxic in large amounts. The toxicities tend to affect the liver and nervous system most directly.
The levels of naturally occurring coumarins is considerably low in cylon cinnamon and does not cause a risk to health.
But the levels of coumarins in cassia is higher and may pose a risk to some individuals, if consumed in substantial amounts on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, there is no way to tell the difference between cinnamon powders that have been made from cylon/true cinnamon versus the cassia cinnamon. If you are buying cinnamon powder, I recommend purchasing a cinnamon product that identifies the source of its cinnamon or calling the manufacturer. In case of purchasing sticks, you can identify true cinnamon from cassia.
True cinnamon stick is light brown in colour. The bark is thin and you maybe able to see multiple layers of a thinner bark.

This picture will help you recognize true cinnamon.

Cassia cinnamon is darker in colour and it is one piece of thick bark layer. It will not show any multiple layers of any kind.

So now I hope you understand cinnamon better and will know which cinnamon to buy.

Cinnamon is considered to be a spice used to enhance the flavour of food. But that is not all. Cinnamon has a whole lot of benefits.

Not only does cinnamon help in reducing weight it also helps in cleaning your blood. Eating honey and cinnamon cures heart problems, cholesterol, skin problems, colds and stomach problems.

• In one spoon of honey mix a little cinnamon and eat it to   help cure coughs and cold.
• In lukewarm water mix cinnamon powder and make a       paste. Put this paste on your forehead to get relief from headache. 
•  Mix cinnamon powder and honey in lukewarm water to make a paste and apply this paste on the part of the body which is experiencing pain. Pain will reduce considerably.

• In one cup of lukewarm water add a t spoon of cinnamon powder and drink this. This will help in reducing joint pains.
• If you have an itching problem mix equal amounts of         cinnamon powder and honey to make a paste. Apply it on the affected area for 10 minutes. This will help reduce the itch.
• Adding a little lemon juice in cinnamon powder and           applying it on the face will reduce acne and pimples.
• Mix a little cinnamon powder in 1 table spoon of honey and take it to reduce stomach pain and acidity. It will also help in digesting the food.
• Apply a paste of cinnamon and honey to your chappati and eat it . This will prevent your arteries from getting blocked  and reduce the chances of a heart attack. 
• It also helps to reduce cholesterol. Take two table spoons of honey and three tspoons of cinnamon powder in half a  litre of lukewarm water and drink it regularly. preferably  in the morning when you wake up.
• Scrubbing your teeth with a paste of honey and cinnamon three times a day will help reduce tooth ache.
• If you are stressed or tensed, take a spoon of honey and cinnamon. It will help you relax.
• Eating a spoon of  honey and cinnamon mixed in equal     amounts will help increase your hearing ability.
• Boil a spoon of tea and cinnamon powder in one glass of water. then add a table spoon of honey and drink it about half an hour before breakfast and before sleeping at night. Doing this regularly will help reduce fat and will not allow it to accumulate in your body. This will reduce weight.

So you see, Cinnamon is not just a spice but a treasure of goodness.