Guide To The Old-Fashioned Herbs And Spices For Arthritis
Cinnamon

Cinnamon is produced from the bark that grows on an evergreen tree that is part of the Cinnamomum family. The main ingredient comes from the scraping of the inner side of the bark while it is still wet. Cinnamon is a staple spice in many fall and holiday dishes. It contains an active ingredient called cinnamaldehyde, which is partly responsible for cinnamon's anti-inflammatory properties.
This active ingredient stops the release of interleukin 6, interleukin 8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha from certain cells in the joints (synoviocytes). The pathway through which these substances are released in the joints is the JAK/STAT pathway. Cinnamon can help alleviate some arthritis symptoms through polyphenol antioxidants. Polyphenol antioxidants are known to balance certain free radicals. Free radicals can produce damage in the joint tissues, which leads to the inflammatory symptoms of arthritis.