I am kicking off this blog series, "Winter Spice and Everything Nice", with the lovely Cinnamon. I am so excited to share some fun tidbits about this tree and commonly known spice with you!

So, let's begin!

Cinnamon is a tree, of which there are about 100 species.

The cinnamon spice comes from the inner bark, also known as the cambium layer.

The spice we use comes from one of two species of cinnamon trees. These two species are similar, but also different.

The two species of cinnamon commonly found on the spice market today are Cassia Cinnamon, Cinnamomum cassia (syn. C. aromaticum), and Sweet Cinnamon, Cinnamomum zeylanicum (syn. C. verum).

Cassia is widely found in spice isles of grocery stores across the US. It can be found as quills, chips, or powder. The quill is made of a hard thick single layer that is dark reddish-brown in color.

Cassia has a pungent flavor. It is not easy to grind at home because it is very hard. This cinnamon species is native to China and Japan. It is part of the traditional herbal medicine in China.

Sweet Cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka, formerly known by its colonized name, Ceylon. This is thought by many to be "true" cinnamon. It consists of thinner strips of bark layered into quills. it is also available as chips and powder. It is more delicate in texture and flavor than Cassia. It is also more expensive and harder to source. As the common name suggests, it has a sweeter lighter flavor than the Cassia.

Cinnamon has a rich history and was highly revered in many ancient cultures and religions.

Cinnamon infused oil (possibly in animal fat) was a holy anointing oil used by ancient hebrews.  In the Bible, Moses made a holy anointing oil with 2 types of cinnamon.

Egyptians used cinnamon oil during the mummification process. I imagine it was an infused oil or animal fat that was used for ritualistic reasons, its scent, and its anti-microbial properties.

2,000 years ago cinnamon was worth more than its weight in gold and silver. According to Pliny the Elder, a Roman author and naturalist who lived AD 24-79, cinnamon was worth 15 times the value of its weight in silver.  

Cinnamon tastes delicious and is anti-microbial.  This was useful for food preservation and improving the taste of food that was not well preserved to begin with.  This is likely why it was so valuable.  

Arab merchants originally ran the cinnamon trade, promoting stories of it's magical powers, to keep the price high.  

Some of the powers it was thought to behold include powers to enhance spirit, success, healing, lust, protection, love, and psychic abilities.  It was used in sachets, anointing oils, incense, and tea.

In the 16th century, Europeans entered the spice trade, yielding violent and long struggles to control the cinnamon plantations and wild groves.  What is now known as Sri Lanka, went through both Dutch and British occupation, mostly for the resources of tea and cinnamon.  At that time, it was called Ceylon, yielding Ceylon Tea and Ceylon Cinnamon (now called Sweet Cinnamon or Ceylon Cinnamon).  Both were prized herbs by the colonizing countries.

The skillful trade of cinnamon foraging, cultivation, and harvest has been passed down through family lines, in places it is grown. 

Cinnamon bark is harvested and processed by hand just after the rainy monsoon season.  The bark peels more easily from the trees during this time.  The outer bark is cut and peeled off, then the inner bark is peeled off and laid to dry.  As it dries it curls into quills.  Once it is fully dry the quills are cut and shipped.  Pieces that don't make it into the quills are ground to a powder or sold as chips.

Check out this video of a cinnamon harvest and processing in Sri Lanka.

I love that this one tree (or two trees actually) is steeped in so much human history and ritual.  I love thinking about this when I smell cinnamon, as I add it to muffin recipes and drink it in tea.

Cassia Cinnamon is pictured above on the left and Sweet/Ceylon Cinnamon is pictured above on the right.

What about the medicinal properties, you ask?  Yes, let's dig in!

We have already mentioned that cinnamon is anti-microbial, this includes anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral.  In this way, it is beneficial for people who are fighting infections or have a cold or flu.  It is also known to fight fungus, including athlete's foot.  The powder of cinnamon can be directly applied to the area where the fungus is.

Cinnamon tea is warming. It helps blood and heat circulate to the extremities of the body.  This is helpful for people who are chilled, have a fever that is making them feel cold, have chronically cold hands and feet, and/or have poor circulation.  

Because of its warming, circulating, and anti-microbial properties, cinnamon tea or tincture is effective against lung infections.  

The tea is a nice remedy for sore and infected throats.  The soothing mucilaginous properties in the tea extract into water that is cool or at room temperature.  It is best to make the tea as you normally would (1 tsp to 1 tbsp of cinnamon chips or a single quill per cup of boiling water) but before straining, allow it to sit and cool to room temp for an hour.  Then you can strain it and reheat gently.  This will give you the soothing mucilaginous effect on the sore mucous membranes of the throat.

Cinnamon is used for fighting infections in the mouth.  It is both astringent and demulcent, which means it both tightens and heals the gums, as well as soothes the mucous membranes.  Plus, it tastes good.  So, it is not a coincidence that there is an abundance of cinnamon flavored toothpaste and toothpicks.  Though too much cinnamon essential oil can be very harmful to the mouth's microbiome and delicate tissues.  Cinnamon toothpowder, tea, or tincture rinse are likely better ways to go.

Cinnamon is beneficial for improving digestion.  It is especially helpful when there is a lot of gas, bloating, cramping, nausea, diarrhea, or an infection in the gut.  An after dinner cinnamon tea can be very soothing.

Cinnamon not only quells cramping in the intestines, but also in the uterus.  It can help ease menstrual cramps and bring on a menstrual flow.  For this reason, cinnamon is not recommended for pregnant women, in therapeutic doses.  

Cinnamon in tea or food has also been shown to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels when needed.  It improves functioning of the body's metabolic pathways.

The latest findings around cinnamon's health benefits are that it has the ability to lower blood glucose and insulin levels in people who have insulin resistance or Type 2 Diabetes.  It has not been shown to lower blood glucose in people who do not need it lowered.  

It does seem to have a compounding effect when combined with medication that also lowers blood glucose.  Because of this, it is important for people who are on such medication, to closely monitor their glucose levels and make adjustments to their medication as needed, while working with a health care professional.  This is a concern when cinnamon is consumed in therapeutic doses of 1-6 grams and not so much of a concern when it is added in small amounts to food.

Cinnamon may not seem like a strong herbal medicine, as you add a teaspoonful to your cookie batter or casserole. However, there is a therapeutic dose of the powder in a range from 1-6 grams. A tea or tincture would be beneficial by the cupful or dropperful, respectively. 1 gram of cinnamon powder is about 2 teaspoons, which is a pretty large amount to consume at one time. It would likely be best to break up the cinnamon intake through out the day. Start small and see what works for you.

If I was interested in working with cinnamon therapeutically, I would consume it in different ways throughout the day, listening to my body and instinct to determine what worked best for me. I may start my day with oatmeal and/or stewed apples with a teaspoon of cinnamon. I might also have a smoothie with .5-1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Then I would probably drink cinnamon tea 1-2 cups through the day, and then if I felt like I wanted more, I would have an after dinner snack that had cinnamon in it, like yogurt with cinnamon and toasted nuts.

However, Cinnamon can be quite powerful and can actually poison or burn you. I would never use cinnamon essential oil, which is an extremely concentrated extract of the caustic part of the bark. It is very high in a chemical (cinnamaldehyde) that will burn and deteriorate body tissues.

Extremely large doses of cinnamon powder has been shown to cause poisoning. People who consumed 36 g (6 times the upper therapeutic dose--that would be 72 teaspoons, which seems like it would be really hard to get down!) experienced dizziness, blurred vision, rapid pulse, increased intraocular pressure, cough, decreased urine production, and thirst. So, don't overdo it! Too much, is just too much. Cinnamon has such a strong flavor that I think it would be nearly impossible to take too much, as long as you are tasting it and listening to you body. But apparently, some people have done it!

People with stomach or intestinal ulcers could be more easily affected negatively by cinnamon.

Cinnamon, especially Cassia, is known to contain coumarins. It is not recommended that people who are on pharmaceutical blood thinners, add cinnamon at a therapeutic dose, to their regimen, unless under the supervision of a health care professional.

I hope that reading this article has given you a new perspective on the common spice that is sitting in your cabinet. From ritual use throughout history, to a delicious addition to food, to an herbal medicine, and even to a poison. It is all about how you relate and connect with this wonderful plant. How can you build a relationship with this herb and how could it enhance your life and wellbeing?

You could start with a delicious cup of hot cocoa with cinnamon and take it from there!

Find the recipe below.

Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon

Ingredients:

Milk or half and half, 1 cup
Bittersweet cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon (I like Ghiradelli brand)
Sugar, 1 tablespoon
Cinnamon powder 1/2-1 teaspoon (to taste)

Directions:

1. Heat the milk on medium low heat in a small sauce pot.

2. As the milk is warming, add the cocoa, sugar, and cinnamon.

3. Mix together with a whisk, until completely incorporated together and the hot cocoa is up to temp.

4. Remove from the heat, pour into a mug, top with whipped cream if you want, and enjoy!