In our eyes, any study that tells you to eat more (not less) of something in order to lose weight is pretty exciting.
Especially when the ingredient in question is a seasonal favourite that you’re bound to enjoy this Christmas.
So, you’ll probably be as chuffed as we were to hear that a very festive spice, cinnamon, has just been declared a powerful tool in the fight against fat, according to new research by scientists at the University of Michigan.
Previous studies have shown that cinnamaldehyde, a key component of cinnamon that gives the spice its distinctive flavour, may help combat obesity in mice. So researchers decided to further test its effects on the human body.
‘Scientists were finding that this compound affected metabolism,’ said lead author Jun Wu in the journal Metabolism.
‘So we wanted to figure out how what pathway might be involved, what it looked like in mice and what it looked like in human cells.’
And, after conducting experiments on human cells in the lab, they concluded that cinnamon may help kick-start the body’s fat burning processes.
While further research is now needed, the team has concluded that cinnamon may give your metabolism a boost.
‘Cinnamon has been part of our diets for thousands of years, and people generally enjoy it,’ Wu added. ‘So if it can help protect against obesity, too, it may offer an approach to metabolic health that is easier for patients to adhere to.’
You don’t need to tell us twice – just off to get a cinnamon latte…
