Cinnamon Benefits, Dose, Home Remedies, Side Effects

Cinnamon improves digestion strength, is useful in diabetes, high cholesterol, its oil is applied externally for premature ejaculation and insect bites. Read more about this wonderful spice. 

 Botanical Name- Cinnamomum zeylanica Blume (C. Verum J.S)
Family- LAURACEAE (Karpura kula)

Medicinal uses

Cinnamon oil For wound healing and insect bites:
Cinnamon oil, when applied externally heals wounds quickly. 2 – 5 drops of the oil is applied over the site of insect bites to detoxify the local area and to relieve stinging pain.

Cinnamon to improve teeth strength: To strengthen teeth, a small piece of cinnamon is kept in mouth, chewed for 5 – 10 minutes and the juice is swallowed. It also helps to relieve bad breath problems. For the same reason, cinnamon oil is used as an ingredient in herbal toothpastes and herbal tooth powders such as

Cinnamon oil for premature ejaculation:
Cinnamon oil – 10 ml is diluted with 100 ml of sesame oil. Mixed well. This combination oil is applied over the penis, 10 minutes before bath, to improve blood circulation and for longer erection.

Cinnamomum zeylanicum – traditional medicinal uses: 
Vishapaha – anti toxic, useful in toxic conditions
Kanta Vaktra Rujahara – relieves throat and oral pain
Shiroruk hara – relieves headache
Basti Shodhana – cleanses urinary bladder. It acts as diuretic. Hence fights urinary retention, dysuria.
Pittala – slightly increases Pitta Dosha
Hrut Bastigata Jantujit – relieves microbe infestation related to bladder, lungs and heart.
Peenasa – useful in rhinitis
Aruchi – relieves anorexia/tastelessness
Kandu – relieves itching, pruritus
Amavatahara – useful in rheumatoid arthritis
Shukrahrut – not ideal to improve semen, sperm quality and quantity
Vataja Arsha –useful in painful hemorrhoids
Krumihara – useful in worm infestation, infected wounds
Peenasahara – relieves allergic rhinitis, running nose
Kaphakasahara – relieves cough with sputum
Amahara – Relieves ama – a product of indigestion and altered metabolism.
Because of its Pitta increasing property, it is useful in treating amenorrhea, delayed periods.
Kantashuddhikara – cleanses, clears throat. Improves voice.
It helps to lower BP, by its cardio tonic and diuretic effects.

Medicinal properties

Twak – Cinnamon Benefits – Medicinal Properties
Rasa (taste) – Katu (pungent), Tikta (bitter), Madhura (sweet)
Guna (qualities) – Laghu (light to digestion), Rooksha (dryness), Teekshna (piercing, strong, sharp)
Veerya- Ushna (hot potency)
Vipaka- Katu (pungent)

Effect on Tridosha – Balances Vata and Kapha. Increases Pitta

As per Bhojana Kutuhalam the cinnamon bark is pungent in taste and treats cough, colicky pain, disorders caused due to ama and cleanses the throat and is light for digestion.
The leaf cures diseases of bladder, headache, neck pain and those discomfort caused due to aggravated vata dosha.

Varieties

Classical texts have not mentioned varieties, but commercially 3 types are available in the market.
Chinese
Sinhali
Indian

Morphology

Habit – Moderate sized evergreen tree
Bark – Thick, smooth, pale coloured.
Leaves – Opposite, or sub opposite, hard and coriaceous, ovate, sub acute, glabrous, shining above slightly paler beneath, base acute or rounded.
Inflorescence – Panicle
Fruit – oblong, minutely apiculate, dark purple

Useful part – Bark – Market sample contains single, double or closely packed compound quills of varying length. Outer surface is deep fan, or yellowish brown in colour with shining wavy lines running longitudinally. Inner surface is dark brown.

Sanskrit verse

Major chemical constituents

Cinnamaldehyde, Eugenol, Benzaldehyde, Methyl amyl ketone, Phellandrene, Pinene, Cymene, Linalool, Cumic, Aldehyde, Caryophyllene, safrole, Methyl evgenol, Borneol, Cinnamyl alcohol, Cinnzeylanin, Cinnzeylanol,(-) epicatechin, Cinnacassiol D1 etc.
(Reference: Illustrated Dravyaguna Vijnana, Vol. II, by Dr JLN Shastry)

Part used, dosage

Part used- Stem bark, leaf,  Cinnamon oil
Dosage- Powder 1-3 grams in divided dose per day, Cinnamon oil 2-5 drops – once or twice  a day. Oil is also used externally, either directly or after dilution with sesame oil.

Research

Though it has a little sweet taste, it reduces blood sugar level in diabetics. Research paper
It also reduces cholesterol. Research paper

Cinnamon home remedies

Juices of cardamom leaves, cloves & Cinnamon made into pills are prescribed for worms, to improve appetite, to relieve flatulence, and diarrhea.

Cinnamon and honey:  one gram of cinnamon along with a teaspoon of honey once a day relieves itching, indigestion and also a useful way to use cinnamon for weight loss. Read more

Cinnamon powder in small quantities is used in making coolant fruit juices, used as part of healthy Ayurvedic summer regimen
Mango juice mixed with fragrant substances like cinnamon, cardamom – to quench the thirst in the afternoon – as part of healthy spring regimen

How to use cinnamon regularly?
It is best used as a part of the diet in making dishes.
If it is not used in cooking, half a gram of cinnamon along with honey or water can be consumed once a day.
In people with dental caries etc. a small piece of cinnamon can be chewed daily.
Its bark and leaf powder in small quantities is added to fruit juices to improve flavor and to boost health benefits of the juice.

Cinnamon to aid learning ability: 
The study by neurological scientists at Rush University Medical Center found that feeding cinnamon to laboratory mice determined to have poor learning ability made the mice better learners. The mice in the study received oral feedings of ground cinnamon, which their bodies metabolized into sodium benzoate, a chemical used as a drug treatment for brain damage. When the sodium benzoate entered the mice’s brains, it increased CREB, decreased GABRA5, and stimulated the plasticity (ability to change) of hippocampal neurons. These changes in turn led to improved memory and learning among the mice. (source)

Cinnamon honey

Cinnamon (bark powder) and honey, both are widely used in numerous Ayurvedic herbal preparations & Ayurvedic home remedies. Cinnamon is used in Ayurvedic herbal powder mixes, tablets, Gulikas, avalehas (herbal jams) dosage forms.
Honey is used extensively in Asavas, Arishtas, Lehyams (herbal jams such as Chyawanprash and Brahma rasayana) and also as a vehicle for many Ayurvedic tablets and herbal powders. So, here are a few tips about honey and cinnamon benefits.

1.How to lower creatinine levels – Cinnamon is one of the rarest herbs to be found beneficial to naturally lower serum creatinine levels. For this purpose, Cinnamon powder – 1-2 grams can be administered along with honey. Honey has been explained as Yogavahi in Ayurveda. It acts as a positive catalyst and accelerates the absorption of the herbs, with which it is being administered.

2. Cinnamon and honey wound healing – Cinnamon is an excellent antimicrobial herb and used in wound healing. Honey is also a very good wound healing agent. So, a paste of honey and cinnamon applied over the wound is very useful to heal a wound.

Cure skin itching – Cinnamon is explained as ‘Kandunashana’- Meaning cure skin itching. A paste of cinnamon along with honey applied over skin affected with allergy etc. is used to treat itchy skin.

Cinnamon and honey for weight loss:
 One pinch of cinnamon with one teaspoon of honey, with warm water, early in the morning, on an empty stomach is traditionally used for weight loss. It is better to avoid coffee or tea till half an hour after taking this home remedy.

Side effects

Because of its hotness, it is not suitable for people with burning sensation and gastritis.
It is not suitable for people with Pitta body type, who are sensitive to Sun heat.
Because of Pitta increasing quality, it is not suitable for people with bleeding disorders such as nasal bleeding, heavy periods etc.
It is best to avoid usage of cinnamon during periods.
It is safe to use in very low doses during pregnancy, lactation and in children.
Some people may have a cinnamon allergy, with symptoms like runny nose, skin rashes, eye redness, lip and tongue swelling etc.

Interaction with medicines, supplements

Can this be used while taking Homeopathic medicine?
Yes. This product does not react with homeopathic medicine.

Can this medicine be continued while taking supplements like multivitamin tablets, Omega 3 fatty acids etc?
Yes. Generally, this product goes well with most dietary supplements. However, if you are taking more than one product per day, please consult your doctor for an opinion.

With western medicines
Seek your doctor’s advice if you are taking this product along with other western (allopathic / modern) medicines. Some Ayurvedic herbs can interact with modern medicine.
If both Ayurvedic and allopathic medicines are advised together, then it is best to take Allopathic medicine first, wait for 30 minutes and then take the Ayurvedic medicine.

Ayurvedic medicines

Ayurveda medicines and cinnamon supplements:
Sitopaladi Churna – A very famous Ayurvedic powder medicine to treat cough, cold, anorexia
Vayu Gulika –  used in abdominal pail, cold, cough, rhinitis and bronchitis
Himsagar tail – it is an excellent pain and burning sensation relieving herbal oil.

Cinnamon oil is used as an ingredient in oral mouthwash to treat halitosis / bad breath problems, such as Refresh mouthwash.

Tejapatra, Darusita

As per Bhavaprakasha,
Twak patra is Tejapatra – Cinnamomum cassia and it can slightly increase Pitta.
Darusita is Cinnamomum zeylanicum with below qualities.

Slightly sweet, bitter, calms Vata and Pitta.
Shukrala – improves sperm count and semen quantity
Varnya – improves skin complexion
Relieves
Mukhashosha – dryness of mouth
Trusha – excess thirst

Manufacturer:
Patanjali Dalchini Churna – manufactured by Patanjali Ayurved Limited.

Vernacular Names

Cinnamon in different languages:
Hindi Name- Dalchini
English Name- Cinnamon
Telugu Name- Lavanga patta
Tamil Name- Ilayangam
Bengali Name- Daruchini
Gujarati Name- Taja

Sanskrit Synonyms

Tanutvak, Chocha, Darusita, Varanga,
Svadvi – because of sweet taste
Mukha shodhya, Mukhashodhana – cleanses mouth
Vanapriya – grows wildly in forest
Saimhalam – from Sri Lanka,
Utkata, Bahugandha, Gandhavalka – having good smell
Lataparna, Tvak patta, Swarna Bhumika, Ramapriya, Rama Vallabha, Bhringam, Kavacha,  Shakala, Saihala, Latapatra, Ramapriya

Classical categorisation

Susruta- Eladi
Vagbhata- Eladi,
Trijataka – a group of three spices – cinnamon, cardamom and Cinnamomum tamala
It is also a member of Chaturjata, which is trijata plus Nagakeshara Read more about Chaturjata
Bh. Pr Ni – Karpooradi varga

Substitute

Cinnamomum tamala

Sthanika karma (Systemic Acton)

Externally – Anti microbial,have scraping action. Indicated mouth diseases like toothache. Can be used as a mouth freshener. External application of its leaf paste is beneficial in skin disorders like discoloration on face, headache etc. Good for nausea and vomiting. Oil can be applied over the gum region in case of toothache. Oil is also indicated for external application in impotency. Oil is indicated in Tubercular ulcer, it cleanses and promotes wound healing.

Internally
Nervous system – Stimulate nervous system
Digestive system –Carminative, digestive, Absorbent. Cleanses the mouth, and prevents bad odor. Antispasmodic, and liver stimulant. Indicated in Anorexia, Indigestion, colicky pain, Liver disorders, Malabsorption syndrome. Indicated in Antrika jvara (Fever associated with indigestion)

Circulatory System – Stimulate heart, good to improve immunity, indicated in blood borne diseases.

Respiratory System – Eliminate excess kapha . Indicated in kasa (Cough), breathing difficulty, hiccough, Tuberculosis

Excretory system – Increase urine production by stimulating the kidney. Indicated in painful urination, pus in urine.

Reproductive System – Uterine stimulant. indicated in amenorrhea. Aphrodisiac