Jomy Joshua
BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery), MPH (Master of Public Health)
Cinnamon is the most widely used spice and flavouring agent in the food industry world wide and has always been of great interest from science point of view because of its numerous health benefits to humans.
In scientific literature, it’s:
- Anti-oxidant
- Anti-microbial
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-cancer
- Anti-diabetic
properties of cinnamon have been researched and proven.
Cinnamon can add great flavour to food as well as act as a health protective and disease curing agent that can cater to the population’s health and well-being.
Introduction
Cinnamon, a spice and also a herb, is obtained from tree barks of tree species belonging to the genus Cinnamomum. The genus contains approximately 250 species out of which only few species are grown commercially.
It is native to Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malabar Coast of India, South America, Caribbean, Southeast Asia and the West Indies.[1]
It is widely used as condiment and flavouring agent in a variety of cuisines and food products. Its flavour comes from the essential oil that consists of several aromatic compounds.[2]
Other names
Botanical Name: Cinnamomum Zeylanicum
Family: Lauraceae
Other names: Twak (Sanskrit), Dalchini (Hindi & Urdu), Kanela (Spanish), Zimt (German)
The most popular plant species in the world:
- Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
- Cassia cinnamon or Chinese cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia)
- Indonesian cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmanni)
- Vietnamese cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureiroi)
All of them belong to the Lauraceae family.
Ceylon cinnamon is rolled in layers called quills and lighter in colour, while others are hard and darker.
Ceylon cinnamon is the true cinnamon
Cassia cinnamon consists of a compound called coumarin in higher quantities which is hepatotoxic and carcinogenic.[3]
Characteristics
Most of the world’s cinnamon production is in China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
Cinnamon trees are evergreen trees. Bark and leaves of the plant are a good source of aromatic essential oils. Fruit is fleshy, has one seed and when ripe it turns dark purple or black.[4]
The flowers are greenish in colour and have a distinct odour.
It consists of essential oils like trans-cinnamaldehyde, caryophyllene oxide, L-borneol, L-bornyl acetate, eugenol, b-caryophyllene, E-nerolidol and cinnamyl acetate.[5]
Resinous compounds, cinnamic acid, cinnamaldehyde and cinnamate are other compounds found in the plant.
Use
These plants are economically important due to their broad uses in the food and pharmaceutical industries.[6]
Culinary uses
The leaves and bark of cinnamon is used in various cuisines. Although it enhances the flavour of sweet dishes in Western cuisines, towards east its primary use is within savoury dishes.
It is a common ingredient in mixed spice powders towards the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Apart from being used as a flavouring agent it is also used as a colouring agent by commercial bakers.[7]
Traditional uses
Cinnamon supplements are promoted for assisting with diabetes and weight loss. Cinnamon is also added to flavour chewing gums because of its mouth refreshing and bad breath control ability.[8]
Medicinal uses
Cinnamon has powerful medicinal properties.
- Anti-diabetic activity
- Anti-inflammatory
- Gastro-protective property
- Anti-viral property
- Anti-cancer property
- Anti-microbial activity
It is rich in anti-oxidants and other beneficial compounds which impart it medicinal properties.
Nutritional facts
Nutritional value per 8g (about two cinnamon sticks) containing the following:
Carbohydrates | 6g |
|---|---|
Protein | 0.3g |
Fat | 0.1g |
Dietary fibre | 4.2g |
Cinnamon is also a good source of vitamins:
- Vitamin K (for coagulation and bone health)
- Vitamin E (supports skin healing)
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin)[9]
and minerals such as:
For more details on vitamin and minerals see our section on Nutrients.
Health benefits
Anti-oxidant activity
Cinnamon essential oils are better alternatives to synthetic anti-oxidants
Cinnamon barks and leaves have more anti-oxidant activity than other parts of the plant due to its radical scavenging abilities.[11]
A lower IC50 value indicates higher anti-oxidant activity. The ethanol extracts from leaves, buds and barks of C. cassia exhibited anti-oxidant activities[11]
Anti-inflammatory activity
Studies done on cinnamon bark essential oil (CBEO) indicated that it significantly inhibited the production of inflammatory cytokines and monokines which indicates that it may have anti-inflammatory properties that enhance wound healing in human skin cells.[12]
Also, studies on cinnamaldehyde, a component of cinnamon essential oil has shown to improve sepsis outcome in studies done on mouse models which are indicative of its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties[13]
Anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties
Studies show that cinnamon extracts, essential oils from its different parts and several of its compounds inhibits bacteria through several mechanisms such as alterations in cell membrane and lipid profile of gram positive bacterias.[14]
Cinnamon oil was able to inhibit:
- E. coli.
- S. aureus
- P. aeruginosa
with the MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) of 4.88, 4.88, and 19.53 μg/ml, respectively.
From the results in table below it was known that the cinnamon oil was able to inhibit all bacterial strains tested due to the action of transcinnamaldehyde, considered as its single major compound.[15]
Cinnamon essential oils also function synergistically with anti-microbial drugs such as amikacin, gentamicin, ampicillin and others.
This is based on the principle that such combinations may enhance bio-availability, reduce side effects and toxicity, lower the required dose and may also prevent the advent of anti-microbial resistance.
Anti-diabetic activity
Studies have shown that aqueous ethanolic cinnamon extract components such as cinnamic acid, eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, methoxy cinnamaldehyde, coumarin and proanthocyanidins are responsible for anti-diabetic properties of cinnamon.[16]
The four cinnamon extracts curtailed starch digestion (inhibited glucosidase and amylase activity). Compared to the effects on α-amylase activity, the cinnamon extracts showed greater efficiency in inhibiting α-glucosidase activity.
Inhibiting digestion enzyme activity is a favoured therapeutic approach for reducing postprandial glycaemia through retarding starch digestion, hence confirming the antiglycemic property of cinnamon as shown in the results of the study.[16]
At practically relevant concentrations cinnamon extracts, particularly Indonesian and Ceylon types retarded starch digestion in the oral and gastric phases of gastro-intestinal digestion, however none showed effects during small intestinal digestion.
Gastro protective activity
Studies conducted recently have shown that cinnamon extracts are protective against stomach ulcers. There was a significant decrease in ulcer area and also showed anti-ulcerogenic activity.[17]
The use of cinnamon as assisted therapy in treatment of Helicobacter pylori has significantly reduced the symptoms like:
- nausea
- vomiting
- epigastric pain
- burp
- headache
its related side effects.
The odds ratio exhibited a higher eradication rate of H. pylori in the cinnamon group (73.47% in the cinnamon group compared to 53.06% in the control group)[18]
Anti-hypertensive activity
The systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was found to be reduced following cinnamon supplementation, hence proposing as a hypotensive supplement in hypertension management.[19]
Cinnamon supplementation resulted in significant reduction in:
- systolic blood pressure SBP by −6.23 mmHg
- diastolic blood pressure DBP by −3.93 mmHg[19]
Anti-cancer properties
Cinnamon extracts have been found to inhibit proliferation of HL- 60 cells (promyelocytic leukemia cells, which are derived from a type of blood cancer that affects the myeloid cells in the bone marrow) in terms of its growth and concentration.[20]
The growth of cells was inhibited by 90.1%.
Cinnamon extract stopped the cell cycle in G1 phase (early phase of cell division cycle). Similarly studies show that the polyphenols in cinnamon can inhibit the growth of certain leukemia cells.
The results of this study showed that the 0.01 mg/ml aqueous cinnamon extract in a 24-h culture could remove 74.6% of cancer cells.
Within 72 h of incubation, minimum and maximum concentration of 0.01 mg/ml and 2 mg/ml caused 90.1% and 73.2% of cell death, respectively.
Therapeutic dosage
The European Food Safety Authority in 2004 derived a Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of cinnamon as a value of 0.1 mg/kg body weight.
Safety concerns
As mentioned above, cinnamon has shown multiple uses and protective activities without causing any increased adverse effect within the daily intake range.
While cinnamon provides extraordinary benefits, it does not increase any risk of injury or mortality.
At the same time potential side effects of cinnamon have been mentioned in several studies and meta analyses.[21]
Cinnamaldehyde and cinnamon tend to cause dermatitis, cinnamaldehyde has shown to cause hepatic cell edema in animal experiments etc., suggesting its larger doses and longer duration of use should be clinically monitored.[21]
Cassia cinnamon has high levels of coumarin
Between Ceylon and Cassia Cinnamon, Ceylon has the lowest amount of coumarin amounting to only 0.004% or 250 times less, while cassia has around 5% of coumarin.
Possible interaction with medication
Extensive exposure to cinnamon could lead to noteworthy interactions in terms of herb drug interactions (HDI) involving CYP2A6 substrates.
But at the same time use of cinnamon extracts in diabetes does not affect any electrocardiographic measures[22]
Co-administration of cinnamon with anti-diabetic drugs may have blood glucose lowering effects. However, some studies have shown the contrary.[23]
Possible interaction with herbs and supplements
Studies have shown possible interaction of cinnamon with certain food materials mentioned as follows. The addition of cinnamon extract has been found to have significantly enhanced the antioxidant activity of:
The interaction of cinnamon and cocoa ranged from synergetic to antagonistic. The interaction was less synergetic when cinnamon extract was added in higher proportion.
The interaction of their constituents substantially influenced the anti-oxidant activity of the mixture and was dependent on the ratio.[24]
Digestion in vitro affects the type of interaction between phenolic compounds present in cinnamon and coffee enhancing its anti-oxidant activity.[25]
Summary
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Related Questions
1. Which type of cinnamon is the healthiest?
Ceylon cinnamon has more health benefits than cassia cinnamon because of the very low concentration of coumarin.
2. What is coumarin?
Coumarin is a naturally occurring sweet smelling compound commonly found in cinnamon and tonka beans.
It was used as a flavouring agent in the food industry for many years, but was discontinued due to its toxic and adverse effects on the liver.[26]
3. Who should avoid taking cinnamon?
If you take regular medications, consult your doctor before starting cinnamon supplements.
Because of less research and lack of more evidence on its safety and interaction with medications, cinnamon intake should be limited in:
- children
- pregnant
- breastfeeding women
Jomy Joshua is an Ayurvedic doctor and a public health professional with a passion for improving the health and well-being of communities. Jomy has theoretical and clinical knowledge in Ayurvedic treatment principles of musculoskeletal, neurological and skin-related disorders, practical knowledge…
If you would like to learn more about Jomy, see Expert: Jomy Joshua.
References
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(2) U. M. Senanayake, T. H. Lee, and R. B. H. Wills, “Volatile constituents of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) oils,” J. Agric. Food Chem., vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 822–824, Jul. 1978. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231553232_Volatile_constituents_of_cinnamon_Cinnamomum_zeylanicum_oils
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(12) X. Han and T. L. Parker, “Anti-inflammatory Activity of Cinnamon () Bark Essential Oil in a Human Skin Disease Model,” Phytother. Res., vol. 31, no. 7, pp. 1034–1038, 2017.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ptr.5822
(13) S. J. F. Mendes et al., “Cinnamaldehyde modulates LPS-induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome through TRPA1-dependent and independent mechanisms,” Int. Immunopharmacol., vol. 34, pp. 60–70, May 2016. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1567576916300479
(14) N. G. Vasconcelos, J. Croda, and S. Simionatto, “Anti-bacterial mechanisms of cinnamon and its constituents: A review,” Microb. Pathog., vol. 120, pp. 198–203, Jul. 2018. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0882401018305667
(15) El Atki Y, Aouam I, El Kamari F, Taroq A, Nayme K, Timinouni M, Lyoussi B, Abdellaoui A. Anti-bacterial activity of cinnamon essential oils and their synergistic potential with anti-biotics. J Adv Pharm Technol Res. 2019 Apr-Jun;10(2):63-67. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6474160/
(16) N. J. Hayward et al., “Cinnamon Shows Anti-diabetic Properties that Are Species-Specific: Effects on Enzyme Activity Inhibition and Starch Digestion,” Plant Foods Hum. Nutr., vol. 74, no. 4, pp. 544–552, Dec. 2019. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11130-019-00760-8
(17) Ö. Aydın Berktaş, F. Odabasoglu, F. Atalay Dumlu, Z. Kutlu, E. Çadırcı, M. Halıcı, F. Öztürk, and A. Çakır, “Gastroprotective and Anti-oxidant Effects of the Cinnamon, Cumin, Sumac on Indomethacin Induced Gastric Ulcer in Rats”, EJFST, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 147–166, 2021.
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