Researchers at the Michigan University have found that intake of cinnamon will help to combat obesity. The researchers have discovered that Cinnamaldehyde, an active ingredient in cinnamon has powerful fat burning abilities.
Cinnamaldehyde is mainly responsible for giving the spice its distinct flavor and has been previously proven to protect mice against obesity. The study "Cinnamaldehyde induces fat cell-autonomous thermogenesis and metabolic reprogramming" is published in the December issue of the Journal Metabolism.
Cinnamaldehyde activates thermogenesis
Cinnamaldehyde is basically an essential oil which is known for activating thermogenesis - a bodily metabolic process which burns calories to produce heat. Jun Wu, a research assistant professor at the Life Sciences Institute has said that this process will kickstart weight loss, a positive news for people suffering from obesity in all nooks of the globe.
"Scientists were finding that this compound affected 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," said Wu, reports the University of Michigan on its website.
During the study, Wu and her team tested human adipocytes from volunteers representing a wide range of age groups, ethnicity and body mass indexes. When the cells were treated with Cinnamaldehyde, researchers noticed increased in the expression of several genes that enhance lipid metabolism. The researchers also found an increase in Ucp1 and Fgf21, the metabolic regulatory proteins which are directly involved in thermogenesis.
"Cinnamon has been part of our diets for thousands of years, and people generally enjoy it. 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," added Wu.
However, more researches should be carried out to confirm the benefits and the possibility of side effects, if consumed more.
