Cinnamon has a vast array of applications including; heart disease, arthritis, hair loss, bladder infections, toothache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, colds, infertility, upset stomach, flatulence, immune boosting, indigestion, longevity, skin infections, fatigue, bad breath, hearing loss and weight loss. Cinnamon may also hold the key to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease, and much scientific research is taking place with this focus. It acts as a digestive aid and can relieve gas and bloating.

The most intriguing of all is the recently touted cinnamon diabetes treatment. Scientists have discovered that cinnamon has insulin-like properties, which are able to decrease blood glucose levels as well as triglycerides and cholesterol. As little as 3 capsules daily in the diet of a diabetic can significantly reduce blood glucose levels. See the list below for many conditions that Cinnamon is useful for.

Acne Alzheimer's Cardiovascular Disease
Cholesterol Circulatory Disorders Colds
Coronary Heart Disease Depression Diabetes
Digestive Problems Diverticulosis Fatigue
Fertility Flatulence High Blood Pressure
Poor Memory Sex Drive (Libido) Yeast Infections

A full list can be seen at the website

Cinnamomum verum, called "true cinnamon", Ceylon cinnamon or Sri Lanka cinnamon is a small evergreen tree belonging to the family Lauraceae, native to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the neighboring Malabar Coast of India, and Myanmar (Burma), and also cultivated in South America and the West Indies. It's inner bark is used to make cinnamon.

Cinnamomum verum trees are 10–15 metres (32.8–49.2 feet) tall. The leaves are ovate-oblong in shape, 7–18 cm (2.75–7.1 inches) long. The flowers, which are arranged in panicles, have a greenish color, and have a distinct odor. The fruit is a purple 1-cm berry containing a single seed.

Cinnamomum verum is produced in Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Brazil and the Caribbean, while cassia is mainly produced in China, Vietnam and Indonesia. Use of cassia as a supplement should be avoided as discussed later.

Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known. It was mentioned in the Bible and was used in ancient Egypt not only as a beverage flavoring and medicine, but also as an embalming agent. It was so highly treasured that it was considered more precious than gold. Around this time, cinnamon also received much attention in China, which is reflected in its mention in one of the earliest books on Chinese botanical medicine, dated around 2,700 B.C. Cinnamon's popularity continued throughout history. It became one of the most relied upon spices in Medieval Europe. Due to its demand, cinnamon became one of the first commodities traded regularly between the Near East and Europe.

Cinnamon purchased in grocery stores as powder may not be effective as with age the powder looses its essential oils, it is also unlikely to be Cinnamomum verum. This does not apply if the cinnamon is kept inside capsules and a sealed pot, so always replace top firmly and consume within 3 months of purchase. Cinnamon should smell slightly sweet, this is an indication that there are some essential oils present.

A Caution First...

A number of species of cinnamon are sold, but at RN we only use "True Cinnamon", Cinnamomum verum

Other types include; C. aromaticum (Cassia or Chinese cinnamon), C. burmannii (Korintje or Indonesian cinnamon), C. loureiroi (Saigon cinnamon or Vietnamese cinnamon)

C. aromaticum & C. loureiroi have a much stronger (somewhat harsher) flavour than C. verum and due to the presence of a moderately toxic component called coumarin, European health agencies have recently warned against consuming large amounts of these. C. burmannii has a low essential oil content and also contains coumarin in a lower amount by virtue of this. Coumarin is known to cause liver and kidney damage in high concentrations. C. verum has negligible amounts of coumarin.

This is why we strongly recommend that only "True Cinnamon", Cinnamomum verum, as supplied by RN, be used as a nutritional supplement.

Studies & Research

Studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol. Several studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes. In some studies, cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections. In a study published by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Maryland, cinnamon reduced the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells.

It has an anti-clotting effect on the blood. In a study at Copenhagen University, patients given half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder combined with one tablespoon of honey every morning before breakfast had significant relief in arthritis pain after one week and could walk without pain within one month.When added to food, it inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative.One study found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory. Researchers at Kansas State University found that cinnamon fights the E. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices. It is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.

Pharmacological experiments suggest that the cinnamon-derived dietary factor cinnamic aldehyde (cinnamaldehyde) activates the Nrf2-dependent antioxidant response in human epithelial colon cells and may therefore represent an experimental chemopreventive dietary factor targeting colorectal carcinogenesis. Recent research documents anti-melanoma activity of cinnamic aldehyde observed in cell culture and a mouse model of human melanoma. A 2011 study isolated a substance (CEppt) in the cinnamon plant which inhibits development of Alzheimer's in mice. CEppt, an extract of cinnamon bark, seems to treat a mouse model of Alzheimers disease.

Cinnamon and Alzheimer's

Researchers from Tel Aviv University report in the PLoS ONE journal that the common spice cinnamon found in many kitchen pantries around the world may hold a crucial key to preventing Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease cases are growing at an exponential pace, currently affecting one in eight people over the age of 65. Cutting edge research posits that the devastating illness is in part the result of metabolic disruption in the brain and has been coined 'Type III diabetes' as it disrupts insulin levels in brain tissue. An extract found in cinnamon bark, called CEppt, has been shown to inhibit the development and progression of the disease in this latest study. They found that potent extracts from cinnamon bark inhibit the toxic amyloid polypeptide oligomers and fibrils that have been found in Alzheimer's brain plaque formations. The healing power of cinnamon has been known since biblical times as high priests used the spice to protect against infectious disease.

Antiviral properties have been confirmed by modern research and have prompted studies to further examine extracts from the spice that may stop the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Scientists have isolated the CEppt active compound found in cinnamon bark and created an aqueous solution for use in research experiments. The solution was fed to mice genetically altered to develop an aggressive form of Alzheimer's disease. After a period of four months, researchers found that development of the disease had been slowed dramatically and activity levels and longevity were comparable to a control group of healthy mice.

In addition to the disease regression findings, researchers determined that the cinnamon extract was found to break up the classic amyloid protein clusters in test tube experiments. Lead researcher Professor Michael Ovadia believes this indicates that CEppt is not only important to inhibit the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease, but this may also help to break up existing tangles once they have formed.

Many natural substances including resveratrol, curcumin and blueberries have shown promise in preventing this devastating form of dementia, but this therapy may reverse the disease once a diagnosis has been presented.

"The discovery is extremely exciting. While there are companies developing synthetic AD inhibiting substances, our extract would not be a drug with side effects, but a safe, natural substance that human beings have been consuming for millennia". Professor Michael Ovadia commenting on the results of this research

Scientists conducting this study did not publish the amount of cinnamon used to produce their results. RN recommends supplementing with 800-1600mg of cinnamon bark extract daily with meals. Cinnamon is rapidly becoming a natural compound that may hold the key to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease.

Cinnamon & Honey: A Natural Synergy

We do not know if there is a true synergy with cinnamon and honey as much research has found tremendous benefits from taking Cinnamon alone. Cinnamon is truly a remarkable spice and definitely ranks in the top 5 healing spices of the planet.
Ayurvedic as well as Yunani medicine have been using honey as a vital medicine for centuries. Scientists of today also accept honey as a very effective medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases. Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients.

Blood Sugar Problems (Including Type II Diabetes)

2-4 capsules of cinnamon a day significantly reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics, a new study has found.

The discovery was initially made by accident, by Richard Anderson at the US Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland.

"We were looking at the effects of common foods on blood sugar," he told New Scientist. One was the American favourite, apple pie, which is usually spiced with cinnamon. "We expected it to be bad. But it helped," he says. Sugars and starches in food are broken down into glucose, which then circulates in the blood. The hormone insulin makes cells take in the glucose, to be used for energy or made into fat. But people with Type 1 diabetes do not produce enough insulin. Those with Type 2 diabetes produce it, but have lost sensitivity to it. Even apparently healthy people, especially if they are overweight, sedentary or over 25, lose sensitivity to insulin. Having too much glucose in the blood can cause serious long-term damage to eyes, kidneys, nerves and other organs.

The active ingredient in cinnamon turned out to be a water-soluble polyphenol compound called MHCP. In test tube experiments, MHCP mimics insulin, activates its receptor, and works synergistically with insulin in cells. To see if it would work in people, Alam Khan, who was a postdoctoral fellow in Anderson's lab, organised a study in Pakistan. Volunteers with Type 2 diabetes were given one, three or six grams of cinnamon powder a day, in capsules after meals. All responded within weeks, with blood sugar levels that were on average 20 per cent lower than a control group. Some even achieved normal blood sugar levels. Tellingly, blood sugar started creeping up again after the diabetics stopped taking cinnamon. The cinnamon has additional benefits. In the volunteers, it lowered blood levels of fats and "bad" cholesterol, which are also partly controlled by insulin. And in test tube experiments it neutralised free radicals, damaging chemicals which are elevated in diabetics.

The study was made up of 60 people with Type 2 diabetes who were divided into 6 groups of 10. Three groups received cinnamon in the form of capsules totaling 1, 3 or 6 grams of cinnamon a day. The other three groups received placebo capsules. The capsules were taken three times a day, after meals. All three levels of cinnamon showed results, leading researchers to believe that as little as 1 gram a day of cinnamon may benefit people who have Type 2.

Health Benefits
Cinnamon's unique healing abilities come from three basic types of components in the essential oils found in its bark. These oils contain active components called cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol, plus a wide range of other volatile substances.

Anti-Clotting/Anti-Inflammatory Actions: Cinnamaldehyde (also called cinnamic aldehyde) has been well-researched for its effects on blood platelets. Platelets are constituents of blood that are meant to clump together under emergency circumstances (like physical injury) as a way to stop bleeding, but under normal circumstances, they can make blood flow inadequate if they clump together too much. The cinnaldehyde in cinnamon helps prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets. (The way it accomplishes this health-protective act is by inhibiting the release of an inflammatory fatty acid called arachidonic acid from platelet membranes and reducing the formation of an inflammatory messaging molecule called thromboxane A2.) Cinnamon's ability to lower the release of arachidonic acid from cell membranes also puts it in the category of an "anti-inflammatory” food that can be helpful in lessening inflammation.

Anti-Microbial Activity: Cinnamon's essential oils also qualify it as an "anti-microbial” food, and cinnamon has been studied for its ability to help stop the growth of bacteria as well as fungi, including the commonly problematic yeast Candida. In laboratory tests, growth of yeasts that were resistant to the commonly used anti-fungal medication fluconazole was often (though not always) stopped by cinnamon extracts. Cinnamon's antimicrobial properties are so effective that recent research demonstrates this spice can be used as an alternative to traditional food preservatives. In a study, published in the August 2003 issue of the International Journal of Food Microbiology, the addition of just a few drops of cinnamon essential oil to 100 ml (approximately 3 ounces) of carrot broth, which was then refrigerated, inhibited the growth of the foodborne pathogenic Bacillus cereus for at least 60 days. When the broth was refrigerated without the addition of cinnamon oil, the pathogenic B. cereus flourished despite the cold temperature. In addition, researchers noted that the addition of cinnamon not only acted as an effective preservative but improved the flavor of the broth.(October 1, 2003).
Blood Sugar Control: Cinnamon may significantly help people with type 2 diabetes improve their ability to respond to insulin, thus normalizing their blood sugar levels. Both test tube and animal studies have shown that compounds in cinnamon not only stimulate insulin receptors, but also inhibit an enzyme that inactivates them, thus significantly increasing cells' ability to use glucose. See details of studies above in the section Blood Sugar Problems (Including Type II Diabetes).

Anti-Oxidant: Cinnamon is so powerful an antioxidant that, when compared to six other antioxidant spices (anise, ginger, licorice, mint, nutmeg and vanilla) and the chemical food preservatives (BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), and propyl gallate), cinnamon prevented oxidation more effectively than all the other spices (except mint) and the chemical antioxidants. (May 6, 2004).
Cinnamon's Scent Boosts Brain Function: Not only does consuming cinnamon improve the body's ability to utilize blood sugar, but just smelling the wonderful odor of this sweet spice boosts brain activity! Research led by Dr. P. Zoladz and presented April 24, 2004, at the annual meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, in Sarasota, FL, found that chewing cinnamon flavored gum or just smelling cinnamon enhanced study participants' cognitive processing. Specifically, cinnamon improved participants' scores on tasks related to attentional processes, virtual recognition memory, working memory, and visual-motor speed while working on a computer-based program.

Participants were exposed to four odorant conditions: no odor, peppermint odor, jasmine, and cinnamon, with cinnamon emerging the clear winner in producing positive effects on brain function.

Encouraged by the results of these studies, researchers will be evaluating cinnamon's potential for enhancing cognition in the elderly, individuals with test-anxiety, and possibly even patients with diseases that lead to cognitive decline. (May 9, 2004).

Potential Interactions

As with all potent remedies, sensitive individuals may have trouble sleeping whilst adapting to Cinnamon, this adaptation period may be for one to three weeks. In this situation just take one capsule in the morning, until adapted, then gradually increase the dose.

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