Cinnamon

About Cinnamon:

• It is one of the earliest known spices mainly cultivated for the dried inner bark of the tree.
• It is a native of Sri Lanka and is cultivated in lower elevations of Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• It is a hardy plant and tolerates a wide range of soil and climatic conditions.
• Soil and climate:
  • The tree is grown on laterite and sandy patches with poor nutrient status.
  • It comes up well from sea level to an elevation of about 1,000 m.
  • Since it is mostly raised as a rainfed crop, an annual rainfall of 200-250 cm is ideal.
• Health benefits
  • Researchers observed that cinnamon and its active components could mitigate oxidative stress and decrease the spread of cancer cells in the prostate gland.
  • They also observed beneficial effects on bone mineral content and a decrease in bone degeneration in rats.