A viral trend on TikTok is claiming that adding a teaspoon of cinnamon to your morning coffee along with cocoa helps you burn fat and lose weight. Is it true? According to one study, taking a dose of less than 1.5 grams (about half a teaspoon) of this sweet-smelling spice every day helps reduce your waist circumference by about 2 cm.

The meta-analysis – which included research from 35 studies – examined whether consuming more than 1.5 grams per day would not have any significant effect. A study with over 1,000 participants found that cinnamon reduced body mass index (BMI) by 0.40 kg/m2 and body weight by 0.92 kg. However, this did not change the participants’ fat or lean mass composition.

The research, which lasted two to six months and involved cinnamon powder or extract, focused mostly on people in the Middle East or the Indian subcontinent.

How does cinnamon help you lose weight effectively?

According to experts, cinnamon helps blood sugar enter your body’s cells faster – thereby lowering glucose and making insulin more effective. It also breaks down fat easily when we need energy. This spice also helps keep you feeling full for longer by slowing down the rapid movement of food from your stomach into the small intestine.

And so, adding cinnamon – a well-known anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial spice – to your morning coffee is totally worth it.

According to Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health – four cups a day of this delicious beverage reduces body fat by about 4 percent. In addition to caffeine, coffee contains high levels of fiber, which promotes feelings of fullness and may help the body maintain a healthy weight.

What are the side effects of cinnamon?,

According to experts, cinnamon is generally considered safe when used as a spice in cooking and food. However, health regulators sometimes issue advisories about the levels of lead and other heavy metals – which are harmful – in some cinnamon preparations.

Doctors say lead is a contaminant that has serious side effects on your health, including gastrointestinal pain and allergic reactions. One of the active ingredients – coumarin is also dangerous for your liver. Cassia cinnamon – made from the dried inner bark of an evergreen tree, contains about 1 per cent coumarin and the other – Ceylon variety – contains much less, 0.004 per cent.

Exercise with Cinnamon Coffee

Experts believe cinnamon works best for weight loss when you also incorporate meaningful changes into your daily lifestyle. Always make sure you exercise for at least 30 minutes daily and eat fresh and whole foods. Also, quit smoking and alcohol for a fit and healthy body.

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