Scientific name: Cinnamomum verum J. Presl. Common names: cinnamon, cinnamon bark, cassia cinnamon. Family name: Lauraceae Part(s) of the plant used: dried inner bark Native region and environment: the cinnamon tree is a small evergreen tree native to Sri Lanka and the Indian subcontinent. It principally lives in the tropical rain forest. The inner bark is harvested after slow-growing for at least 4 years– when the tree is typically over 18 feet.
This cinnamon monograph provides basic information about cinnamon—common names, usefulness and safety, and resources for more information. Browse more monographs.
Cinnamon played a major role in colonial expansion. In 1536, Portugal invaded what was then Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to monopolize the cinnamon trade. By 1770, the Dutch were cultivating cinnamon and the Dutch East India company dominated the world trade in cinnamon from 1796 to 1833. Most commonly, cinnamon is a spice used to flavor food from savory to sweet. It is an ingredient in many recipes including curry, tea blends, and chewing gum! Cinnamon is popular in Spanish-speaking countries like Mexico (it’s known as canela) where it is added to chocolate and also in China where it is one of the ingredients of the 5-spice blend. “Cinnamon, along with other spices and fruit, is used in making mulled wine which is often used as an apéritif to aid digestion.”[1]
Cinnamon constituents & diabetes
Cinnamon contains many constituents including essential oils (like coumarin), diterpenes, polysaccharides, and phenolic acids. The polyphenols in cinnamon display insulin increasing and antioxidant activity. Cinnamon’s phytochemicals have also been shown to increase insulin sensitivity by improving glucose transport to cells and reducing fasting blood sugar. Cinnamon extract may offer partial protection against insulin resistance and diabetes by rapidly inducing the expression of the anti-inflammatory genes in fat cells.
The consumption of cinnamon supplements used in combination with standard hypoglycemic medications or other lifestyle therapies can improve T2DM. In clinical trials it has been shown to modestly reduce fasting blood sugar especially in patients with a BMI over 27.[2] Results on HbA1c. and other body measures have been more conflicted. In vitro (in a petri dish) and in vivo (in body) evidences indicate that cinnamon may have benefits in improving insulin sensitivity and glycemic control. It has been suggested that cinnamon’s effects on blood glucose can be attributed to one of its active constituents: cinnamaldehyde.
Safety and contraindications
With a safety rating of 2b and interaction class A, cinnamon is generally a safe herb to take, but women should avoid it in large amounts while pregnant. Cinnamon supplements appear to be safe for most people for short-term use. Some people may have allergic reactions to cinnamon. Cassia cinnamon (C. cassia) contains varying amounts of a chemical called coumarin, which might cause or worsen liver disease. In most cases, C. cassia doesn’t have enough coumarin to make you sick. However, for some people, such as those with liver disease, taking a large amount of C. cassia might worsen their condition. Grocery stores often carry C. cassia, so you may need to find a specialty retailer for the verum cinnamon (C. verum).
Potential Drug Interactions
Moreover, the long-term consumption of coumarins have been demonstrated to cause hepatoxicity in humans and the European Food Safety Authority confirmed maximum daily intake for coumarins to 0.1 mg/kg. Considering the potential toxicity of coumarins in C. cassia, it can be speculated that C. verum may be safer for clinical application in chronic diseases requiring prolonged treatments, such as T2DM.
Cinnamon preparation & dosing
Whole cinnamon bark is available at most grocery stores, however if you are interested in using it to modulate your blood sugar levels make sure you buy the C. verum. If you are interested in working with a tincture of cinnamon, I would recommend you buy this product from a trusted supplier like Mountain Rose Herbs.
Daily Dosage Table: Cinnamon[3]
Format
Dosage
Preparation
Infusion
2-6g
Infuse in 8oz boiling water for 10 min
Tincture
1.5-3.0 mL
1:1 liquid extract
References
[1] https://www.herbalgram.org/resources/herbalgram/issues/95/table-of-contents/herbalgram-95-herb-profile-cinnamon/
[2] Namazi et al 2019 Complementary Therapies in Medicine 43 (2019) 92–101
[3] Braun & Cohen (2015) Herbs & Natural Supplements Vol 2. , Elsevier, Sydney Australia
Building query...
PubMed Articles About
Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)[Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; [1988] – [cited 2018 Apr 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with the progression of cognitive dysfunction. Physical activity benefits cognition, but no evidence from randomized clinical trials has shown whether tai chi chuan has better long-term benefits than fitness walking in cognitive function for patients with T2D and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
To conduct an ethnobotanical survey and document the traditional anticancer and antidiabetic plants used by the local tribes of Mizoram, Northeast India.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) accounts for >90% of the cases of diabetes in adults. Resistance to insulin action is the major cause that leads to chronic hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. T2DM is the consequence of activation of multiple pathways and factors involved in insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction. Also, the etiology of T2DM involves the complex interplay between genetics and environmental factors. This interplay can be governed efficiently by lifestyle modifications to achieve better management of diabetes. The present review aims at discussing the major factors involved in the development of T2DM that remain unfocussed during the anti-diabetic therapy. The review also focuses on lifestyle modifications that are warranted for the successful management of T2DM. In addition, it attempts to explain flaws in current strategies to combat diabetes. The employability of phytoconstituents as multitargeting molecules and their potential use as effective therapeutic adjuvants to first line hypoglycemic agents to prevent side effects caused by the synthetic drugs are also discussed.
Obesity and diabetes are closely related metabolic disorders that have become major public health concerns worldwide. Over the past few decades, numerous studies have explored the underlying mechanisms of these disorders and identified various risk factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and dietary habits. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been increasingly recognized for its potential to manage obesity and diabetes. Weight loss is difficult to sustain, and several diabetic therapies, such as sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, and insulin, might make it harder to lose weight. While lifestyle changes should be the primary approach for people interested in lowering weight, drugs are also worth investigating. Since some of the newer glucose-lowering medications that cause weight loss, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), are additionally utilized or are under consideration for use as anti-obesity drugs, the frontier between glucose-lowering medication and weight loss drugs appears to be shifting. This review provides an overview of the literature on the underlying mechanisms of obesity and diabetes and the prospect of TCM in their management. We discuss the various TCM interventions, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, and dietary therapy, and their effects on metabolic health. We also highlight the potential of TCM in regulating gut microbiota, reducing inflammation, and improving insulin sensitivity. The findings suggest that TCM may provide a promising approach to preventing and managing obesity and diabetes. However, further well-designed studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of TCM interventions and to elucidate their underlying mechanisms of action.
Plant-derived phytochemicals have been interested in as nutraceuticals for preventing the onset and progress of diabetes mellitus and its serious complications in recent years. Lam. is used in vegetables and in herbal medicine for its health-promoting properties against various diseases including diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to examine an effect of on diabetic hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia by meta-analyzing the current evidence of diabetic rodent models. Peer-reviewed studies written in English from two databases, PubMed and Embase, were searched to 30 April 2021. Studies reporting blood glucose or lipid levels in diabetic rodents with and without receiving extracts of were included. Forty-four studies enrolling 349 diabetic rodents treated with extracts of and 350 diabetic controls reported blood glucose levels. The pooled effect size was -3.92 (95% CI: -4.65 to -3.19) with a substantial heterogeneity. This effect was likely to be, at least in part, modified by the type of diabetic models. Moreover, diabetic hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia were also significantly improved in diabetic rodent models treated with .
Building query...
PubMed Articles About
Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)[Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; [1988] – [cited 2018 Apr 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
