Cinnamon is often lauded as an almost miraculous spice because of the amount of ailments and conditions it can relieve. Possibly only second to Vinegar when it comes to simple treatments we probably all have or can easily get out hands on, cinnamon is capable of helping many, many conditions ranging from the severe like heart disease and arthritis, to upset stomachs and colds. It can also improve things like blood pressure or hair loss. Now when I say ‘help’, that can be a very arbitrary term, because there is not always a clear cause-and-effect relationship. Cinnamon is afterall, just a herb and not a medicinal pill. Those who take it have seen dramatic improvements in their condition, though it is not to say that cinnamon was the one cause; in those cases it could another or a combination of factors. Cinnamon is however a welcome addition to anyone who has been told they need to re-consider their lifestyle and the effect on their health, or who have been suffering from one of those ailments listed above. In other words, it can’t do any harm, and will most likely be a benefit overall.
In relation to infertility, cinnamon is one of several changes or additions one can make to improve their situation. When issues surrounding an ability to conceive occur, it is often the case that a GP will recommend a few different things before a problem sought out as the explanation for why someone can not get pregnant, just so the body is in as optimum condition at that point. For instance, stress can have a massive impact on the body’s functions.
These can include diet issues, such as a deprivation of particular nutrients or minerals like zinc, which is often stripped from many foods through processing but yet which we all need. What is great about taking stock of what minerals we are actually taking in, is that these are not medicinal, and can easily be bought from a pharmacy or at our local supermarket in the form of foods which are rich in it; for instance, zinc is found in high levels in foods like pumpkin seeds and fish. It is also a general problem with diet, that has occurred over the years, whereby the average diet has digressed in terms of quality or inclusion of the necessary fruit and veg one should get. This would not have been an issue a few decades ago, but because lifestyles change over time, the problems occur. These tie into social or cultural issues as well, with perhaps more women smoking than was culturally acceptable 60 years ago, or having their own careers. Where we get our produce from is also an issue, with perhaps more of us turning to larger supermarkets who treat their produce differently in order to mass-distribute it and keep it fresh for longer.
Often it is when we try to do something strenuous on the body, like conceiving or going through labour, that we realise just how healthy we are ourselves. Like walking up an abnormally large hill, our bodies are truly tested; sometimes, and unfortunately so, we realise at these moments if we have harmed our bodies in some way or if we have inherited some medical condition, usually because this is when deeper medical tests are performed. Without being too rude, those who are trying to conceiving may be having sex a lot more frequently, sometimes at times which they would not expect, like when the woman is ovulating; this requires both to be not only in the mood but in relatively good condition to “perform”.
Returning to cinnamon as the be all and end all of fertility; unfortunately there is not a lot of significant medical research to back up any claim that it can reverse infertility. What it does help is those women who suffer from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a disorder of the ovaries, is a large cause of infertility in women. What cinnamon can do is reduce insulin resistance in sufferers, through its capacity to control blood sugars (which is why cinnamon is recommended to diabetes sufferers). While it is not ideal or a solution by any means, it is one step that can help those with PCOS trying to conceive.
For those who do manage to get pregnant, keeping cinnamon in one’s diet, whether through cinnamon
bark in cooking or through cinnamon supplements themselves, is very much a positive as it can help relieve fatigue and is immune-boosting, which is beneficial for not just the mother-to-be but the baby too.
