Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum)
Photo: Simon A. Eugster · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Circulatory
- 4 conditions
- Licensed photo
Overview
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum or C. zeylanicum) is a small evergreen tree, prized for its fragrant, sweet-spicy bark. Used for centuries as a warming stimulant in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, cinnamon supports digestion, circulation, and blood-sugar balance. Modern research confirms its ability to boost insulin sensitivity and possibly reduce high blood glucose in type 2 diabetes.
Traditional uses & properties
Antidiabetic & Antiseptic: Helps stabilize blood sugar, shows antimicrobial action (antibacterial, antifungal). Aromatic, Astringent & Carminative: Settles indigestion, flatulence, and cramps; beneficial for heavy menstrual bleeding. Warming & Circulatory: Stimulates blood flow, eases cold extremities, and can help combat “cold” conditions like colds, flu, and poor circulation.
Traditional preparations
Traditional texts describe the preparations below, and where those texts give specific amounts, the amounts are quoted here as part of that record. This is a record of historical practice, not a dosage recommendation - the figures are what the sources say, not what HerbMate tells you to take. Amounts, potency, and safe use vary enormously by preparation, plant part, and person.
500-2,000 mg up to 3 times daily. Mix powder with food; do not try to take it straight.
10 ml of essential oil in 100 ml of 40% alcohol; 1 tsp. in 4 ounces of sweetened water every 5, 10, or 30 minutes for postpartum hemorrhage. Don’t use at this dosage for more than a day.
Compound Cinnamon Tea: ¼ tsp. ground ginger, ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1 tsp. lemon juice in 8 ounces hot water; 4-8 ounces up to 3 times daily
Dried bark (1:5, 60% alcohol, 5% glycerin); 30-60 drops up to 3 times daily
Dried bark (1:5, sealed simmer method); 3-10 drops up to 3 times daily
Avoid internal use, as cinnamon essential oil is very irritating. For topical use, dilute 1 drop in 50-60 drops of fixed vegetable oil. Test on a small patch of skin before applying.
Safety & precautions
Essential Oil: Highly concentrated and not advisable for internal use in large amounts; can be toxic. Pregnancy & Breastfeeding: Cinnamon bark and oil (beyond normal food amounts) are generally avoided. Excess Doses: Taking more than 2 g of cinnamon bark daily may cause stomach irritation or lower blood sugar excessively. Allergy: Occasionally causes allergic reactions.
Drug & food interactions
It has been suggested that cinnamon may interfere with the control of diabetes by conventional antidiabetic drugs, but controlled studies do not appear to support this suggestion. Cinnamon is a constituent of various Chinese herbal medicines.
- Food
- No interactions found. Cinnamon is commonly used as a flavouring in foods.
- Antidiabetics
- Although one study suggests that cinnamon may enhance the blood-glucose-lowering effects of conventional antidiabetics, a meta-analysis of controlled studies suggests otherwise. In a placebo-controlled study, patients with type 2 diabetes were given Cinnamomum cassia 1 g, 3 g or 6 g daily (total of 30 patients) for a total of 40 days in addition to their normal medications. Blood-glucose levels were decreased by 2.9 mmol/L, 2 mmol/L and 3.8 mmol/L in the 1 g, 3 g and 6 g groups, respectively. Changes in blood-glucose levels were only significant at 20 days in the 6 g group (blood-glucose decreased by 2.8 mmol/L). No particular adverse effects were reported.
- Medicine
- No interactions found.
These entries keep the wording of the reference they come from, and three phrases mean three different things. "No interactions found" means the source looked for reports of that pairing and found none. "No data found" means nothing has been published either way. "Based on experimental evidence only" means the effect has been seen in a laboratory or animal study but not in people - a reason for caution, not a report of harm.
Habitat
Native to India and Sri Lanka, cinnamon trees grow in tropical forests up to about 1,600 ft (500 m) in elevation. Commercially, they are heavily cultivated in regions like the Philippines and the Caribbean. The bark is harvested by cutting back young trees, stripping the outer bark, and drying the inner layer into characteristic quills.
Traditionally used for
- Poor Circulation4 herbs · 2 free
- Indigestion24 herbs · 2 free
- Diabetes11 herbs · 2 free
- Cold and Flu16 herbs · 2 free
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Frequently asked questions
What is Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) traditionally used for?
Traditional sources describe Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) as follows: Antidiabetic & Antiseptic: Helps stabilize blood sugar, shows antimicrobial action (antibacterial, antifungal). Aromatic, Astringent & Carminative: Settles indigestion, flatulence, and cramps; beneficial for heavy menstrual bleeding. Warming & Circulatory: Stimulates blood flow, eases cold extremities, and can help combat “cold” conditions like colds, flu, and poor circulation.
How is Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) prepared?
Traditional texts describe the preparations below, and where those texts give specific amounts, the amounts are quoted here as part of that record. This is a record of historical practice, not a dosage recommendation - the figures are what the sources say, not what HerbMate tells you to take. Amounts, potency, and safe use vary enormously by preparation, plant part, and person. CAPSULE OR POWDER: 500-2,000 mg up to 3 times daily. Mix powder with food; do not try to take it straight. SPIRIT OF CINNAMON: 10 ml of essential oil in 100 ml of 40% alcohol; 1 tsp. in 4 ounces of sweetened water every 5, 10, or 30 minutes for postpartum hemorrhage. Don’t use at this dosage for more than a day. TEA: Compound Cinnamon Tea: ¼ tsp. ground ginger, ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1 tsp. lemon juice in 8 ounces hot water; 4-8 ounces up to 3 times daily TINCTURE: Dried bark (1:5, 60% alcohol, 5% glycerin); 30-60 drops up to 3 times daily GLYCERITE: Dried bark (1:5, sealed simmer method); 3-10 drops up to 3 times daily ESSENTIAL OIL: Avoid internal use, as cinnamon essential oil is very irritating. For topical use, dilute 1 drop in 50-60 drops of fixed vegetable oil. Test on a small patch of skin before applying.
What safety cautions apply to Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum)?
Essential Oil: Highly concentrated and not advisable for internal use in large amounts; can be toxic. Pregnancy & Breastfeeding: Cinnamon bark and oil (beyond normal food amounts) are generally avoided. Excess Doses: Taking more than 2 g of cinnamon bark daily may cause stomach irritation or lower blood sugar excessively. Allergy: Occasionally causes allergic reactions.
Related herbs
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