Paul asked me whether adding cinnamon to his breakfast oatmeal could help with his quest to lose weight.
There is plenty of anecdotal evidence, which is now starting to be backed up by scientific research, that suggests cinnamon can help you to lose weight.
Ancient man had far less access to energy-rich foods than we do now and also was exposed to periods of near starvation, due to the general lack of access to farmed food.
As a result, fat cells in the body were (and still are, if we over-indulge) used to store energy, for use in times of need.
What seems to happen when we eat cinnamon (or more specifically, ingest the oil in cinnamon called cinnemaldehyde) is that this natural chemical acts directly on the lipids within the fat cells, inducing them to release this energy in the form of heat, through a process called thermogenesis.
Put simply, cinnamon seems to speed up the metabolism and burn fat through the release of heat energy.
I’d say therefore, that adding cinnamon to your oatmeal is a great idea. Like always, everything is best in moderation.