Cinnamon is a well-known spice collected from the inner bark of different tree species from the genus Cinnamomum. It is mainly known as flavoring additive and aromatic condiment for a wide range of cuisines such as breakfast cereals, savory and sweet, snack foods, traditional foods, and different tea. The flavor and aroma of cinnamon obtain from its essential oil and main component cinnamaldehyde and several other components including eugenol.
The term cinnamon also describes a mid-brown color. Cinnamon is the name of different species of tree. Cinnamomum verum is thought to be true cinnamon, but commonly cinnamon referred to as Cassia.
Cinnamon is one of the evergreen tree featured by oval-shaped leaves, berry fruit, and thick bark. The cultivation of cinnamon grows the tree for two years. Later, it requires to cut down the stems to ground levels. During the cultivation, many new shoots form from roots and replace the cut. Different pest such as Diplodia spp, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Phytophthora cinnamomi cause to impact on growing plants.
The stems required to process quickly after harvesting during the internal bark is wet. Then the woody outer portion is removed and leave a meter-long strip of cinnamon which will roll and form a curl while drying. It should be ventilated in a warm environment for 4-6 hours.
Cinnamon is considered as traditional ayurvedic and medicinal purposes because it contains wonderful qualities which provide health benefits to conditions such as colds, diarrhea, menstrual cramps, and flu. Most of the flavor and use of cinnamon come from its bark.
Cinnamon Essential Oil
Table of Contents
The cinnamon essential oil is an extract of cinnamon taken by steam distillation of the bark. This essential oil has a sweet aroma and calming qualities which immediately soothe your soul and mind.
There are different types of cinnamon essential oil such as:
Cinnamon Leaf Oil
Steamed extract of Cinnamomum veerum which are evergreen and this essential oil has medium kind of aroma and lighter than other cinnamon oil. Additionally, it has a warm scent which helps to fight seasonal threats. Use cinnamon leaf oil while seasonal viral illness to keep yourself healthy.
Cinnamon Bark
The steam extract is taken from cinnamon bark of Cinnamomum verum and used as essential oil. The cinnamon bark essential oil has a stronger aroma than the fragrance of leave extract. It gets a feel of woody and spicy. This essential oil also fights with seasonal threats
Cinnamon Cassia
Cinnamon cassia essential oil is extracted from the plant bark itself from a plant which is genetically the same. This essential oil has a stronger aroma with a spicy, and warm sensation. It also has some sweetness. Cinnamon cassia contains powerful germ-fighting qualities.
Benefits and Uses of Cinnamon essential oil
Heart Booster
The cinnamon essential oil has a significant amount of fiber and calcium which support heart health and prevent complications. Fiber also aids in improving digestion while calcium boost bone health. Therefore, add some cinnamon essential oil in your food intake to prevent coronary artery ailment and high blood pressure.
According to the animal study issued in 2014 discovered that cinnamon bark oil and aerobic exercise helps to boost heart performance. The study also shows how cinnamon oil reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol.
Cinnamon also works to increase nitric oxide production which beneficial for the individuals with heart disease and those suffered from a stroke and heart attack.
Additionally, cinnamon contains anti-platelet and anti-inflammatory syntheses which benefit arterial health of the heart.
Advances Brain Function
The cinnamon essential oil can be the best tonic for the brain. It promotes brain activity and functions by reducing stress, memory loss and anxiety.
Studies discovered that the cinnamon essence helps to promote brain activity. The people who inhale cinnamon essential oil showed better cognitive performance such as better practice recognition, attention span, working memory and speed of visual-motor response.
You need to be fortunate enough to survive in the air pollution contamination and smoking which ingest toxins which increase the exposure to free radicals and result in oxidative damage in the brain. Oxidative damage has a link with aging and central nervous system conditions such as dementia, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Weight Loss
Cinnamon essential oil helps in the weight loss process also. Certain blood sugar fluctuation causes overeating, abnormal eating habits, and sweet cravings.
Cinnamon is well known aromatic spice to help in fat-burning and sugar regulating.
Cinnamon got huge fame as a superfood for weight loss. Anybody can consume cinnamon from overweight woman to fitness freaks which continue to tone your body. Cinnamon has shown several results of reducing the bad effects of consuming high-fat foods. Adding cinnamon essential oil helps your weight loss goal by managing blood glucose levels.
The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities of cinnamon promote overall body process to support weight loss.
It is important to know that cinnamon alone cannot help long term weight loss. Still, it may provide benefits as a healthy diet and workout to reach. A teaspoon of cinnamon contains 1.6 grams of fiber which makes your stomach feel full for a longer time prevent frequent hunger.
Promotes Blood Circulation
The cinnamon essential oil contains blood-thinning syntheses which promote blood circulation. Good blood circulation means more oxygenation and less pain in the body. This quality also benefits people who have arterial ailment problem and limit heart attack risk. You can consume three drops of a capsule made of cinnamon essential oil to prevent the risk of heart attack.
Reduce Inflammation
Cinnamon is a strong anti-inflammatory agent and decreases the muscles and joint stiffness. Consuming cinnamon essential oil helps to relieve that pain and reduce inflammation.
Act as strong antioxidant
Cinnamon essential oil shows powerful antioxidant qualities. These qualities of cinnamon make it perfect for skin problems, acne and risky condition such as cancer. Antioxidants are important to prevent cancerous cells in the body and save yourself from free radical damage.
Respiratory Problems
The cinnamon essential oil is a great cure for decongesting by relieving symptoms of influenza, cold, congestion, and sore throat. Taking a few drops of cinnamon essential oil can reduce the symptoms of respiratory diseases. Cinnamon works as a powerful antifungal cure and helps to eliminate respiratory tract fungal problem and prevent respiratory tract mycoses.
Cinnamon for Diabetes
Another use of cinnamon essential oil is for diabetes. You can sprinkle cinnamon on your baked food or oatmeal. It is good to enjoy the taste when you have to eat boring food. When you have diabetes, then you need to be careful before adding spices in your food.
Cinnamon essential oil helps to manage blood sugar which can be an effective cure for diabetes. Research shows that cinnamon helps to manage blood sugar as it comprises of water-soluble polyphenol which supports insulin and prevents the risk of diabetes.
However, it’s not completely clear that cinnamon is good for all people with diabetes. The research discovered mixed results and the American-Diabetes-Association rejected cinnamon’s use in diabetes management. Every diabetes condition is different and unable to manage in a similar way.
If you have a good liver condition, then cinnamon can be safe in diabetes condition but having liver problems and consuming spices can cause to damage your liver at a worse level.
If you wish to take cinnamon supplements, make sure to talk your doctor and know your diabetes condition especially if you want to consume it with other medications. The medication product you use should include the seal of US Pharmacopeia, NSF International or consumable seal. Try to know more about cinnamon supplement produce to check it don’t have any harmful ingredient.
Mouth Freshener
The cinnamon essential oil can be used as chewing gums and mouth freshener. Cinnamon helps to boost dental health and prevent bad breath.
According to the dental scientist of Chicago discovered that cinnamon essential oil helps to kill the oral bacteria such as germs which are responsible for a type of chemical that allows the rotten egg smell to breathe. But, you necessarily don’t need to eat cinnamon stick to remove microbes. You can also chew cinnamon gums.
According to the research of Min Zhu, a co-worker of the University of Illinois at the Dentistry college, cinnamon is a powerful spice that kills oral bacteria.
Indigestion
Cinnamon is well known for its uses in a variety of ethnic recipes. Apart from flavoring your food, the cinnamon works effectively for the treatment of stomach problems such as nausea, vomiting, indigestion, diarrhea, upset stomach and flatulence. As a strong carminative, cinnamon essential oil or extract helps to lessen your gas in the intestines and stomach.
According to the FDA (Food-and-Drug-Association) cinnamon helps to limit combats diarrhea, nausea, acidity, indigestion, and stomach health disorders.
Pain Relief
The cinnamon essential oil play an important role in reducing pain such as aches, stiffness, muscles, and joints.
Joint pains can occur at the age of 16 to 60. It can happen at any age, and it can be more irritating and painful. Most of the time people consume over the counter medications to relieve the pain. However, there are more natural ways to reduce the sprain and joint pain such as cinnamon.
How to Use
- Combine one to two drops of cinnamon essential oil and carrier oil.
- Use this mixture to massage the affected part of the joints.
- If you have sensitive skin, make sure to try it a small application.
- Regular use of cinnamon oil helps to soothe your muscle knots, stress-related aches, and back pain.
Arthritis
You can get benefits of cinnamon essential oil for arthritis and relieve the pain. The cinnamon essential oil can also help to remove the tissue damage in joints. The content of methoxycinnamaldehyde in cinnamon reduce the bone resorption by 95% and decrease the osteoclasts activity which involves bone tissues breakdown.
There is a different pathway which stimulates bone destruction. Cinnamon bark essential oil blocks these pathways and reduce osteoclastogenesis which is a process of bone destruction.
The consumption of cinnamon essential helps to prevent bone destruction and cure the disease. It also helps to treat the osteoporosis which is a common arthritis problem.
How to Use
Take 4 to 5 drops of cinnamon and mix with 30 ml of mustard or coconut oil.
Warm it and apply it to the affected area. Arthritis patients are recommended to massage every day on your painful joints by making a blend of both oils.
Toothache
The high content of eugenol in cinnamon leaf acts strongly against gum troubles and toothache. The cinnamon essential oil is the best replacement for clove essential oil.
How to Use
Place a cotton ball having some cinnamon essential oil and a good amount of carrier oil in between your affected teeth which can help to soothe your aching tooth and reduce the pain.
Abnormal Menstruation
The sweet-spicy smelling cinnamon work wonders for menstrual problems. It helps to relieve cramps and regulate normal menses.
Homeopathic prescriptions are less effective than the doctor’s prescription. But some research discovered that women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) able to get regular menstrual cycle while taking a cinnamon supplement every day.
A research team of Columbia-University-Medical-Center experimented on 16 women with PCOS. A hormonal imbalance is the primary cause of female infertility, and they took a placebo or 1,500-milligram of the cinnamon pill. The 11 women took an everyday dose of cinnamon and got an average of four menstrual periods for six months, whereas the group 2 women who were taking cinnamon reported natural pregnancies without any help.
PCOS condition affects nearly five in ten women during the childbearing age. The condition is linked with the genetic problem, but scientists believe that the vital cause to trace is insulin insensitivity.
However, obese women are more prone to suffer from PCOS, and experts say that moderate weight loss of 5-10% women can help to improve the symptoms of PCOS including infertility, irregular menstruation, acne, thin scalp hair, and excess hair growth.
Birth Control
The cinnamon essential oil is a natural way for birth control. According to historical evidence, the long-term use of cinnamon helps to prevent pregnancy. Using a specific amount of cinnamon helps to trigger uterine contraction and prevent conception. You can add cinnamon essential oil in the tea or season your food.
Cinnamon is also known for stimulating the uterus and cause abortion or miscarriage. However, it doesn’t work quickly and requires regular consumption for a long time. Check with your doctor before using cinnamon as a birth control method.
Urine Discharge and Urinary tract infection
The cinnamon essential oil contains diuretic qualities which help to regulate the urine discharge.
According to the study of 2010 in the Journal-of-Urology observed trans-cinnamaldehyde which is a strong antibacterial agent against urinary infections including catheter infection.
The bacteria are the most affecting cause of urinary tract infection. According to the author Mary Anne Amalaradjou, from Department-of-Animal- Science at Connecticut University, Cinnamaldehyde helps to prevent E. coli growth – (Escherichia coli bacteria) without any toxic effect in the bladder cells.
According to the study of 1996, from American-Journal-of-Chinese-medicine, had tested at Brooklyn from the Department-of-Veterans-Affairs-Medical-Center, the test went on cinnamon against fluconazole-resistant candida. The result showed that 5-HIV positive patients were able to improve oral candida problem after the treatment said by Dr. John Quale.
Reducing urinary tract infections with the help of cinnamon supplement can reduce the discomfort and antibiotic use. Untreated urinary infection can cause severe kidney infections, bladder infection, frequent urination, and organ injuries.
You should always prevent the urinary tract bacteria growth by treating the condition and maintain hygiene.
Improves Sexual Desire
The cinnamon essential oil is a turn-on and helps to improve sexual desire in both women and men.
There are some underlying causes such as fatigue, heart problem, diabetes, high BP causes to impact on erectile dysfunction. Trying cinnamon essential oil can help to cure the problem of sexual arousal and orgasm. The chemical compound in cinnamon helps to burn excess sugar into energy and dilate blood vessels to reduce the pressure by raising progesterone levels in the women to up the libido. The aromatic spice cinnamon helps to create the heat in the couple and improve sexual desires.
Raised blood sugar levels and diabetes cause to affect diabetic neuropathies and nerve damage. Cinnamon helps in men to regulate erectile dysfunction and climax problem without ejaculation.
Cinnamon consumption helps to gain good control over your blood sugar issues and reduce the symptoms and improve nerves and libido.
Reduces Ulcers
The content of eugenol in the cinnamon essential oil of its leaf helps to relieve the pain occurs by ulcers, particularly those happened due to poor eating habits. It also helps to control the ulcer relapse intensity in the mucous membrane.
Stomach ulcer also describes as gastric and peptic ulcers. These sores cause more pain and discomfort on your stomach lining. They cause to affect your stomach and intestine.
Stomach ulcers occur when a mucus protect your stomach from intestinal juices and cause stomach acid to decay the intestine lining tissues.
The people suffering from stomach ulcers may get hunger pain around the navel and breastbone which can spread in your back.
Apart from these symptoms, you may also feel pain above your stomach ulcers surface.
You will get the symptoms including
- Weight loss
- Antacids
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Inability to drink or eat
- Feeling of fullness
- Bloated stomach
- A burning feeling heartburn
- Burping due to acid reflux
- Anemia
Cinnamon fights parasite growth
The cinnamon essential oil can help to fight with parasite growth. You can mix it with other oils such as oregano, cumin, thyme which helps to remove the growth of harmful parasites particularly mycelial parasites in your body.
Emotional and Religious Benefits
Another benefit and use of cinnamon oil are to reduce chakras. It mainly raises your self-confidence, self-acceptance and removes the trauma by increasing sense of security and belongingness.
Warning: If you have allergy with cinnamon, then try using other essential oils such as wintergreen, cypress, wild oranges, and frankincense.
Soothes Sore Throat
Inhalation of cinnamon essential oil helps to clear the mucus which builds up in nasal passages. Also, you can consume cinnamon essential oil with lemon and honey for soothing inflammation and reduce the pain of sore throat.
A benefit of Skin, Lips, and hair
According to the study published in 2017 shows that cinnamon bark essential oil can stop the production of different protein biomarker which involves in tissue remodeling and skin inflammation. The content of anti-inflammatory qualities in cinnamon essential oil works effectively on inflamed skin such as acne, and rashes. You can combine carrier oil and cinnamon essential oil for full advantage of the antimicrobial capability.
Cinnamon oil helps to benefit hair also. Beauty magazines suggest the cinnamon essential oil helps to boost healthy hair growth. You can add a few drops of cinnamon oil with coconut oil or almond oil for quick homemade scalp treatment.
You can also use cinnamon oil for lips health which retains your lips plumpy and increases blood circulation in the area of lips. Make a combination of two drops of cinnamon oil with one tablespoon of coconut oil for best do it yourself lip plumper.
Deodorizes Your Home
You might like to warm your holidays that all love to fill the home during winter and fall. You can make your own deodorizer and freshener by blending therapeutic scents such as orange, cloves, and lemon in a homemade room spray.
Same time, you will see the relaxing feeling and detoxify the air at home.
Treat Fungal Infections
Cinnamon oil helps to treat toenail fungus. According to the research issued in 2016, olive oil and cinnamon oil showed to help as antimicrobial and antifungal actions against fungal strains such as Candida albicans which cause fungus in toenail and other fungal infections.
You can treat toenail fungus by combining a few drops of cinnamon essential oil and olive oil or coconut oil and apply it to the affected parts.
Cinnamon Oil Interactions & Cares
Generally, cinnamon is considered safe, but there might be chances of getting reaction due to certain medication interactions. Sensitive health people may experience allergic reactions when applied cinnamon essential oil topically. This may appear as skin irritations such as rashes and itching on the body.
Before using cinnamon essential oil make sure to test the skin with small skin patches to prevent an allergic reaction. If you experience stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea after consuming cinnamon oil, then stop the consumption and consult your doctor.
If you are pregnant or currently breastfeeding or have any other health condition and getting pills, then talk to your doctor before using cinnamon essential oil. It’s necessary to know whether your health condition is able to adjust cinnamon oil or not.