All About Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a common spice, coming from the bark or leaves of a tropical tree. It is one of the most potent antimicrobial essential oils, tested against hundreds of bacteria and fungi. It has also shown the ability to help lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and may be useful as an insecticidal and repellent.
Fun Fact
In Ancient Egypt, cinnamon was often used in burial ceremonies and embalming to help preserve the dead!
Cinnamon Research
About 100 research articles have been catalogued on cinnamon. Of all the essential oils, cinnamon is one of the strongest in its antimicrobial actions. Further, the cinnamon spice has been heavily studied in clinical trials for its blood sugar and cholesterol lowering effects, especially in those patients with type 2 diabetes. It also can act as an ingredient in insect repellents, and has anti-cancer potential. Click the button below for a detailed review of research.
Cinnamon Blog Articles
Cinnamon: Spice, Herb, and Essential Oil
Latin Name: Cinnamom zeylanicum
Family: Lauracae
Other Common Names
- Other common names: Ceylon cinnamon, Madagascar cinnamon
- Other Latin names: Cinnamomum verum
- Chinese cinnamon, C. cassia, is a similar species.
- There are over 250 species of cinnamon with significantly variant chemical make up.
Plant Description
Cinnamon comes from the dried bark of the tropical Coppiced tree, growing up to 50 foot tall.
Herb Description
Bark is dried and usually turned to a powder form, as commonly seen in the cinnamon spice.
Essential Oil Description
Oil is distilled from the dried inner bark and is high in cinnamaldehyde. Leaves are also used to make essential oil, with much higher eugenol content. Oil from the bark is thick, slightly tacky, and oily, with a yellow color that turns reddish with age. The aroma is spicy, peppery, hot, and fresh. Oil from the leaves is also strong and spicy, with a clove like scent. Both bark and leaf oil can be a skin irritant.
(Bark) Key Constituents
- Cinnamaldehyde / Trans-Cynnamaldehyde
- Eugenol
- Cinnamyl Acetate
- Linalool
- Caryophyllene / Beta-Caryophyllene / Alpha-Caryophyllene / Humulene / Alpha-Humulene
- Note: Leaf oil is much higher in eugenol and eugenyl acetate at up to 95% collectively.
