You may not know that cinnamon is a spice that comes from the bark of a tree and is grown mostly in Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and other far east countries. And while cinnamon is a delicious addition to many dishes, it also has other benefits.

According to studies, cinnamon can:

Cinnamon can be added into your coffee, on toast, baked into numerous foods, or simply taken as a supplement. It's an easy addition that could have good results.

When we think of aloe vera, we think of the spiky plant with the green gel that helps ease sunburn. But aloe may also slow the progress of type 2 diabetes.

Researchers looked at the use of aloe vera to treat the symptoms of diabetes, and the findings suggest it may help protect and repair beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. This may be due to its strong antioxidant effect.

Another study showed that aloe could help lower fasting glucose levels and hemoglobin A1C. And Aloe Vera may also boost eye health—another perk for diabetics.

Aloe vera pulp can be added to smoothies or juice or taken as supplements. When you use aloe vera, be sure you are using an ingestible product.

Historically, milk thistle—an herb—has been used to treat many ailments.

But recent studies show that the extract from milk thistle, called silymarin, is a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. Silymarin may also prove to be very helpful in lowering blood glucose levels in those with diabetes

Ginger is an herb that has been used in traditional medicines for centuries, especially for digestive and inflammatory issues.

Recent research has found that it may also help treat diabetes. The studies showed that ginger lowered blood sugar levels while not lowering insulin levels.

This suggests that ginger may reduce insulin resistance in those with type 2 diabetes.

Ginger, like cinnamon, is a delicious addition to many foods! It can be added to smoothies, sliced thin or grated into soups or stir-fry meals, or ingested as ginger ale or a capsule.

Fenugreek is a seed that contains fibers and compounds that help slow the digestion of sugars and carbohydrates.

There is evidence that fenugreek seeds may help prevent the onset of type w diabetes. A 3-year study noted that people who had already been diagnosed with prediabetes were less likely to progress to full-on type 2 while ingesting powdered fenugreek.

Researchers also concluded that participants in the study showed a reduction in blood sugar as the result of higher insulin levels.

Fenugreek can be used as a cooking herb. The seeds can be added to warm water or ground into a powder or added to capsules as a supplement.

These five herbs and supplements are just a few of nature's gifts to us.

We need to always remember that every food we ingest has the ability to harm us or help us. Nutritional food is healing to our bodies and has the ability to cure us from the inside out!