The study findings have come from experiments carried out using pigs. The work showed that that cinnamon maintained the integrity of the stomach wall. This could be an important step in addressing gastrointestinal issues with pigs, especially the impact of greenhouse gases on the environment. As pigs feed carbon dioxide gas increases in their stomach. By adding cinnamon to the food, this reduces the level of gas. Chemically is this through a decrease with the secretion of gastric acid and pepsin from the stomach walls. This process cools the pigs stomachs during digestion.
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species and it is used in both sweet and savory foods. Cinnamon has been used to treat a variety of clinical conditions, such as bronchitis or diabetes, although there is no medical consensus as to the health benefits.
According to Dr Jian Zhen Ou, this may explain why cinnamon has been added to human diets in some regions. “No wonder cinnamon is so popular in warm regions as taking it makes people feel better and gives them a feeling of cooling down.”
The study was part of a wider study carried out by RMIT University, which is an Australian public research university located in Melbourne, Victoria. A research team, led by Professor Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh has been looking into a swallowable gas sensor, in the form of capsules or smart pills. The senor can send wireless signals to a medical professional so that gut health can be assessed. Digital Journal has discussed the sensor in more detail in a related article.
The experiments with pigs and the indigestible sensor could pave the way for the application of the senor technology with people, to help diagnose medical conditions.
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The research is reported to the journal Scientific Reports. The research paper is titled “Potential of in vivo real-time gastric gas profiling: a pilot evaluation of heat-stress and modulating dietary cinnamon effect in an animal model.”
