Cinnamon

Source=Dried bark of the cinnamon tree Cinnamomum zeylanicum
Flavor=Pungently sweet
Best Use=As dried sticks or ground powder
Cooking use=In sweet dishes or in curries and stews

Fast facts: soothes indigestion, controls blood sugar in diabetics, prevents stomach ulcers, wards off urinary tract infections, fights tooth decay and gum disease, prevents vaginal yeast infections.
Ancient Chinese herbals mention it as early as 2700 B.C., and Chinese herbalists still recommend it for fever, diarrhea and menstrual problems.
Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D., director of the American Phytotherapy Research Laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah, and author of The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine, "cinnamon is an antiseptic that helps kill the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease." Cinnamon also kills many disease-causing fungi and viruses. One German study showed it "suppresses completely" the cause of most urinary tract infections (Escherichia coli bacteria) and the fungus responsible for vaginal yeast infections (Candida albicans).