Cinnamon (2024)

On this page

  • Plant description
  • Plant uses
  • Did you know?
  • Where in the world?
  • Find it in our gardens
  • More about this plant

Cinnamon is a festive favourite, found in everything from Christmas pudding and mince pies to mulled wine.

The fragrant spice comes from the inner bark of the Sri Lankan cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum verum) and is used in sweet and savoury foods worldwide.

Other members of the genus Cinnamomumare also used to create spices, such as cassia from Cinnamomum cassia, and Indonesian cinnamon from Cinnamomum burmannii.

Cinnamon has been grown and used for centuries. Ancient Egyptians used it in their embalming process, and medieval physicians used it in medicines to treat coughing and sore throats.

Cinnamon (1)
Cinnamon (2)

Plant description

A small evergreen tree with glossy leaves that are bright red when young and turn green with age. The flowers are small and yellowish or greenish white, and the fruits are round and brown or black.

Read the scientific profile on cinnamon

Plant uses

Beauty and cosmetics

Cinnamon has been used as an ingredient in oils and perfumes.

Food and drink

The culinary spice, cinnamon, is sold in the powdered form or as tightly rolled ‘quills’ of bark.

Its rich, spicy flavour makes it a popular ingredient in many Christmas recipes, including Christmas cakes, Christmas pudding, mince pies, cinnamon shortbread, lebkuchen, mulled wine and glühwein.

Cinnamon is incredibly versatile, it is used in sweets, dessert and savoury dishes, spice mixes, and mulled wine. In Europe it is mostly used in confectionery and baked goods, whilst in the Middle East it is common in meat dishes such as Moroccan tagines.

An essential oil extracted from this plant, cinnamon bark oil, is also used in cooking.

Health

Cinnamon was used by medieval physicians to treat coughing and sore throats.

Cinnamon bark oil has antiviral and antifungal properties, and cinnamon extract has been used to relieve digestive discomfort in Eastern and Western traditional medicines for centuries.

Did you know?

  • This species is sometimes referred to as true cinnamon to distinguish it from the similar, less expensive, and lower quality spice cassia. Cassia is prepared from relatives of cinnamon: CinnamomumcassiaandCinnamomumburmanni.

  • In order to harvest cinnamon, two to five-year-old trees are cut back to a stump which causes them to start growing like a bush and produce new shoots. These shoots areharvested and stripped of their outer bark.The inner bark is then polished, stretched, layered and hand-rolled into quills that are trimmed and dried.

  • From dried cinnamon bark, or quills, come quillings (smaller pieces 5 to20 cm long), featherings (small, twisted pieces), chips (trimmings of bark or quills), and powder (from different grades of bark).

Where in the world?

Cinnamon (3)

Native: Sri Lanka

Introduced: Argentina Northeast, Assam, Bangladesh, Borneo, Brazil Southeast, Cambodia, Caroline Islands, China Southeast, Cook Islands, Fiji, Gulf of Guinea Islands, India, Java, Leeward Islands, Mauritius, Myanmar, Philippines, Samoa, Seychelles, Society Islands, Taiwan, Tanzania, Vietnam, Windward Islands

Habitat:

Wet tropical regions

Cinnamon (4)

Cinnamon

Native

Introduced

Extinct

Find it in our gardens

Kew Gardens

A botanic garden in southwest London with the world’s most diverse living plant collection.

Location

Temperate House, Asia

View map of Kew Gardens

Best time to see

Flowers: Jan, Feb, Oct, Nov, Dec

Fruits: May, Jun

Foliage: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec

More about this plant

Cinnamon (2024)

FAQs

Cinnamon? ›

What Is Cinnamon? Cinnamon is a spice made from certain types of trees. Extracts from the bark as well as leaves, flowers, fruits, and roots of the cinnamon tree have been used in traditional medicine around the world for thousands of years.

What are the benefits of cinnamon? ›

In addition to being an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, lipid-lowering, and cardiovascular-disease-lowering compound, cinnamon has also been reported to have activities against neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

What are the benefits of cinnamon in a woman's body? ›

  • Regulates period cycle. Cinnamon has been found to regulate menstrual cycles by balancing hormones and increasing blood flow to the uterus. ...
  • Improves fertility. ...
  • Reduces PCOS symptoms. ...
  • Helps with weight loss. ...
  • Helps regulate blood sugar levels. ...
  • Boosts immunity. ...
  • Aids digestion. ...
  • Promotes heart health.
Oct 17, 2023

Is drinking cinnamon everyday good for you? ›

As long as you consume it in moderation, cinnamon may help keep you healthy by helping: reduce inflammation. protect against heart disease. improve insulin sensitivity.

Is cinnamon healthy yes or no? ›

Cinnamon is especially great for people who have high blood sugar. It lends a sweet taste to food without adding sugar, and studies indicate it can lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Cinnamon may also provide heart-healthy benefits, such as reducing high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

What are the side effects of taking cinnamon everyday? ›

Possible cinnamon side effects include: Liver damage (if cassia cinnamon is consumed in excess and for long periods) Mouth sores. Low blood sugar.

What organ is cinnamon good for? ›

Cinnamon supplements may benefit overall heart health by improving blood pressure and circulation, and reducing blood lipid levels, like LDL cholesterol. Having high blood pressure and high blood fat levels can increase your risk for heart disease, so taking cinnamon supplements may help reduce cardiovascular risk.

Can cinnamon reduce belly fat? ›

Although no large-scale studies done so far provide sufficient evidence that cinnamon alone can help you lose belly fat, when taken along with a balanced diet and regular exercise, cinnamon may help speed up your weight loss journey.

When not to eat cinnamon? ›

Given the lack of evidence about its safety, children, pregnant women, and women who are breastfeeding should avoid cinnamon as a treatment. Lower blood sugar. It may affect your blood sugar, so if you have diabetes and take cinnamon supplements, you might need to adjust your treatment.

Which type of cinnamon is healthiest? ›

All types of cinnamon contain a compound known as coumarin, which is known to be harmful in large amounts. Ceylon cinnamon has much less coumarin than cassia cinnamon. If you are concerned about coumarin, Ceylon cinnamon is a safer option for your spice rack.

Is it better to take cinnamon in the morning or at night? ›

The advantages of drinking cinnamon tea before bed include supporting a weight loss program and easing sore muscles. Additionally, it promotes digestion of the food consumed during the day, speeds up metabolism, and helps with weight loss. And it continues to function as you restfully sleep the next day.

What is the best way to take cinnamon? ›

So, we're spilling the beans (or the spice) on the best ways to eat cinnamon for your health and wellness.
  1. Stir into your porridge. ...
  2. Dust Cinnamon over apple slices. ...
  3. Sprinkle onto toast. ...
  4. Add a pinch to your coffee. ...
  5. Make a Cinnamon and Ginger Latte. ...
  6. Bake into Cinnamon muffins. ...
  7. Sip on Chai Tea. ...
  8. Use as a topping for pancakes.
Jan 3, 2024

What medications does cinnamon interact with? ›

In theory, cinnamon may interact with blood-thinning medications due to the presence of coumarin. American ginseng and cinnamon both increase anticoagulation. Use Caution/Monitor. antithrombin alfa and cinnamon both increase anticoagulation.

Is liver damage from cinnamon reversible? ›

Coumarin is a flavouring substance which is contained in relatively high concentrations in cinnamon varieties collectively known as "Cassia cinnamon". In especially sensitive persons, even comparatively small quantities of coumarin can cause liver damage, although the effect is usually reversible.

What are the benefits of cinnamon in bed? ›

Cinnamon's place in kitchen cupboards across the world is secure, but its place in the bedroom is much less celebrated despite it having some rather spicy 'sexual healing' properties. For one, it's a source of manganese, a mineral essential to sexual health with documented aphrodisiac effects.

Is McCormick cinnamon cassia or ceylon? ›

McCormick, a more than 125-year-old company, is a trusted name in the food industry that you can count on to deliver a marriage of quality and affordability. Their ground cinnamon is classified as cinnamon cassia, so the flavor profile is much stronger and sweeter than Ceylon cinnamon.

Does cinnamon reduce belly fat? ›

Cinnamon can also improve body metabolism, targeting the fat deposited in the abdominal area. Cinnamon can help weight loss in many ways. For instance, research says that cinnamon supplementation can result in a significant improvement in all components of metabolic syndrome.

What is the best way to take cinnamon daily? ›

If you do want to add cinnamon to your diet, however, the best way to do it is to sprinkle it on your oatmeal or cook with about one-half teaspoon to one teaspoon daily. Using cinnamon in its whole form in food, instead of in a tablet, is always best.

What are the benefits of putting cinnamon in your water? ›

Here are some potential health benefits of consuming cinnamon water in the morning:
  • Boosts metabolism. Cinnamon contains compounds that can enhance your metabolic rate, helping you burn calories more efficiently. ...
  • Reduces inflammation. ...
  • Improves digestion. ...
  • Strengthens the immune system. ...
  • Relieves menstrual discomfort.
Feb 14, 2024

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