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11-23-11, 03:42 PM
On this page:
Introduction (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#intro)
What the Science Says (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#science)
Side Effects and Cautions (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#cautions)
Sources (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#sources)
For More Information (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#info)
Introduction
This fact sheet provides basic information about cinnamon—common names, what the science says, potential side effects and cautions, and resources for more information.
Common Names—cinnamon, cinnamon bark, Ceylon cinnamon, cassia cinnamon, Chinese cinnamon
Latin Names—Cinnamomum zeylanicum (also known as Cinnamomum verum); Cinnamomum cassia (also known as Cinnamomum aromaticum)
Cinnamon comes from the bark of trees native to China, India, and Southeast Asia. A popular cooking spice in many cultures for centuries, cinnamon also has a long history of use as a folk or traditional medicine. For example, many ancient societies used cinnamon for bronchitis. Additional folk or traditional uses include gastrointestinal problems, loss of appetite, and control of diabetes, as well as a variety of other conditions.
Cinnamon bark is used to make powders, capsules, teas, and liquid extracts. Although there are many kinds of cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon (sometimes referred to as "true" cinnamon) and cassia cinnamon (also known as Chinese cinnamon) are the most familiar.
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What the Science Says
High-quality clinical evidence (i.e., studies in people) to support the use of cinnamon for any medical condition is generally lacking.
An analysis of five clinical trials concluded that cinnamon does not appear to affect factors related to diabetes and heart disease.
Side Effects and Cautions
Cinnamon appears to be safe for most people when taken by mouth in amounts up to 6 grams daily for 6 weeks or less. Some people may have allergic reactions to cinnamon or its parts.
Cassia cinnamon contains coumarin, the parent compound of warfarin, a medication used to keep blood from clotting. Due to concerns about the possible effects of coumarin, in 2006, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment warned against consuming large amounts of cassia cinnamon.
Cinnamon should not be used in place of conventional medical care or to delay seeking care if you are experiencing symptoms that are of concern; this is particularly true if you have diabetes.
Tell all your health care providers about any complementary and alternative approaches you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care. For tips about talking with your health care providers about complementary and alternative medicine, see NCCAM's Time to Talk campaign (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#top).
Sources
Baker WL, Gutierrez-Williams G, White CM, et al. Effect of cinnamon on glucose control and lipid parameters. (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#top) Diabetes Care. 2008;31(1):41–43.
Cassia Cinnamon. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Web site. Accessed at naturaldatabase.com on October 7, 2011.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.). Natural Standard Database Web site. Accessed at naturalstandard.com on October 7, 2011.
Cinnamon bark. In: Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckman J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2000:65–67.
Cinnamon bark. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Web site. Accessed at naturaldatabase.com on October 7, 2011.
Cinnamon bark, Chinese. In: Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckman J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2000:68–71.
For More Information
[URL="http://nccam.nih.gov/health/supplements/wiseuse.htm"]Using Dietary Supplements Wisely (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#top)
NCCAM Clearinghouse
The NCCAM Clearinghouse provides information on CAM and NCCAM, including publications and searches of Federal databases of scientific and medical literature. The Clearinghouse does not provide medical advice, treatment recommendations, or referrals to practitioners.
Toll-free in the U.S.: 1-888-644-6226
TTY (for deaf and hard-of-hearing callers): 1-866-464-3615
Web site: nccam.nih.gov (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/clearinghouse/)
E-mail: info@nccam.nih.gov
PubMed®
A service of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), PubMed® contains publication information and (in most cases) brief summaries of articles from scientific and medical journals.
Web site: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez)
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
Web site: ods.od.nih.gov (http://ods.od.nih.gov/)
NIH National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus
Cassia Cinnamon Listing: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/1002.html (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/1002.html)
This publication is not copyrighted and is in the public domain. Duplication is encouraged.
NCCAM has provided this material for your information. It is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your primary health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with your health care provider. The mention of any product, service, or therapy is not an endorsement by NCCAM.
NCCAM Publication No. D463
Created October 2011
Introduction (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#intro)
What the Science Says (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#science)
Side Effects and Cautions (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#cautions)
Sources (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#sources)
For More Information (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#info)
Introduction
This fact sheet provides basic information about cinnamon—common names, what the science says, potential side effects and cautions, and resources for more information.
Common Names—cinnamon, cinnamon bark, Ceylon cinnamon, cassia cinnamon, Chinese cinnamon
Latin Names—Cinnamomum zeylanicum (also known as Cinnamomum verum); Cinnamomum cassia (also known as Cinnamomum aromaticum)
Cinnamon comes from the bark of trees native to China, India, and Southeast Asia. A popular cooking spice in many cultures for centuries, cinnamon also has a long history of use as a folk or traditional medicine. For example, many ancient societies used cinnamon for bronchitis. Additional folk or traditional uses include gastrointestinal problems, loss of appetite, and control of diabetes, as well as a variety of other conditions.
Cinnamon bark is used to make powders, capsules, teas, and liquid extracts. Although there are many kinds of cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon (sometimes referred to as "true" cinnamon) and cassia cinnamon (also known as Chinese cinnamon) are the most familiar.
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What the Science Says
High-quality clinical evidence (i.e., studies in people) to support the use of cinnamon for any medical condition is generally lacking.
An analysis of five clinical trials concluded that cinnamon does not appear to affect factors related to diabetes and heart disease.
Side Effects and Cautions
Cinnamon appears to be safe for most people when taken by mouth in amounts up to 6 grams daily for 6 weeks or less. Some people may have allergic reactions to cinnamon or its parts.
Cassia cinnamon contains coumarin, the parent compound of warfarin, a medication used to keep blood from clotting. Due to concerns about the possible effects of coumarin, in 2006, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment warned against consuming large amounts of cassia cinnamon.
Cinnamon should not be used in place of conventional medical care or to delay seeking care if you are experiencing symptoms that are of concern; this is particularly true if you have diabetes.
Tell all your health care providers about any complementary and alternative approaches you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care. For tips about talking with your health care providers about complementary and alternative medicine, see NCCAM's Time to Talk campaign (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#top).
Sources
Baker WL, Gutierrez-Williams G, White CM, et al. Effect of cinnamon on glucose control and lipid parameters. (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#top) Diabetes Care. 2008;31(1):41–43.
Cassia Cinnamon. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Web site. Accessed at naturaldatabase.com on October 7, 2011.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.). Natural Standard Database Web site. Accessed at naturalstandard.com on October 7, 2011.
Cinnamon bark. In: Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckman J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2000:65–67.
Cinnamon bark. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Web site. Accessed at naturaldatabase.com on October 7, 2011.
Cinnamon bark, Chinese. In: Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckman J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2000:68–71.
For More Information
[URL="http://nccam.nih.gov/health/supplements/wiseuse.htm"]Using Dietary Supplements Wisely (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cinnamon/#top)
NCCAM Clearinghouse
The NCCAM Clearinghouse provides information on CAM and NCCAM, including publications and searches of Federal databases of scientific and medical literature. The Clearinghouse does not provide medical advice, treatment recommendations, or referrals to practitioners.
Toll-free in the U.S.: 1-888-644-6226
TTY (for deaf and hard-of-hearing callers): 1-866-464-3615
Web site: nccam.nih.gov (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/clearinghouse/)
E-mail: info@nccam.nih.gov
PubMed®
A service of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), PubMed® contains publication information and (in most cases) brief summaries of articles from scientific and medical journals.
Web site: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez)
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
Web site: ods.od.nih.gov (http://ods.od.nih.gov/)
NIH National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus
Cassia Cinnamon Listing: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/1002.html (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/1002.html)
This publication is not copyrighted and is in the public domain. Duplication is encouraged.
NCCAM has provided this material for your information. It is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your primary health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with your health care provider. The mention of any product, service, or therapy is not an endorsement by NCCAM.
NCCAM Publication No. D463
Created October 2011