Cinnamon - therapeutic uses

Healthy & Natural Journal, Dec, 2000 by Eugene Zampieron, Ellen Kamhi

Try putting some liquid soap and cinnamon in a spray bottle and use on plants as an organic bug repellent.

Ah! The spicy, sweet smell of cinnamon! Everyone recognizes the familiar aroma of this common kitchen spice. But did you know that cinnamon is an exotic plant bark with a long history of medicinal use in many countries throughout the world?

Cinnamon (cinnamoumum zeylanicum) was listed as an herb with medicinal properties in Chinese literature as early as 2700 B.C. It is described in the Chinese medical text, The Tang Materia Medica, written in A.D. 659. Cinnamon also enjoys traditional use in Ayurvedic medicine, the ancient healing art of India. It is mentioned in the Book of Moses and has been cultivated in Ceylon and Sri Lanka since A.D. 1200, where much of the world's supply is still grown.

In Europe, cinnamon was regarded as a rare and precious spice. Many pharmaceutical substances such as cough syrups and digestive tonics contained cinnamon. It was also used as incense and in perfumes. According to Chamberlain, writing in France in 1887, cinnamon "possesses the greatest antiseptic powers."

Cinnamon is gathered from the dried inner bark of the branches of a small, tropical, evergreen laurel tree. The bark is peeled off and, as the pieces are dried, they curl up into quills. These are the common cinnamon sticks that are used in herb teas and for baking.

In Chinese medicine, cinnamon is one of the most widely used "warming" herbs that aid in circulation and digestion. It is a common ingredient used in tea for nausea during pregnancy. It is also used following delivery to decrease hemorrhage. Cinnamon raises vitality, warms the system, stimulates all the vital functions of the body, counteracts congestion, improves digestion, relieves abdominal spasms and aids in peripheral circulation.

The essential oils contained in cinnamon include eugenol, cinnamic aldehyde, methyl-eugenol, tannin, and mannitol, which gives cinnamon its sweet flavor. It also contains cinnzelanin and cinnzelanol, which are both known insecticides. Try putting some liquid soap and cinnamon in a spray bottle and use on plants as an organic bug repellent. Cinnamon is also included in many medicinal recipes that are used for lice, scabies, and other skin parasites.

Cinnamon has antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial activities. It has been shown to suppress E. coli, staphylococcus, and candida albicans.

So, the next time you inhale that sweet, spicy aroma, remember there's more to cinnamon that meets the nose as you reach into... THE NATURAL MEDICINE CHEST[TM]

Eugene Zampieron, N.D., and Ellen Kamhi, R.N., Ph.D., The Natural Nurse[TM], are well-known natural practitioners, researchers and authors. They are the authors of The Natural Medicine Chest and Arthritis: The Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide. Their radio shows are heard internationally on VitalCast.com

Authors, lecturers and talk show hosts Dr. Eugene Zampieron and Dr. Ellen Kamhi contribute two must-read articles to this issue. The dynamic duo wax nostalgic about the medicinal uses of cinnamon and finish up their in-depth two-part series on arthritis.