Herbal Encyclopedia

Common Medicinal Herbs For Natural Health

Cinnamon

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Cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamonBotanical and Common Names

  • Family Lauraceae
  • Cinnamomum aromaticum (Chinese Cinnamon, Cassia, False Cinnamon, Bastard Cinnamon, Cassia Lignea, Cassia Bark, Cassia aromaticum, Canton Cassia)
  • Cinnamomum camphora (Camphor Tree, Gum Camphor, Laurel Camphor, Cemphire)
  • Cinnamomum verum (Cinnamon, Ceylon Cinnamon)
  • Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Sweetwood, True cinnamon, Canela [Spanish])
  • Cinnamomum cassia (Common cinnamon)

Cautions

  • Avoid therapeutic doses during pregnancy, as the herb is a uterine stimulant and can cause a miscarriage.
  • Avoid with nursing mothers as this herb may cause allergic hypersensitivity due to its cinnamein content. E.
  • Use with care in overheated or feverish conditions.
  • Can be toxic if taken in excess.
  • Avoid with stomach and intestinal ulcers due to its stomachic effect.
  • Prolonged use of this herb may cause tissue irritation due to potential toxicity.
  • Gastro-intestinal irritation may result where large amounts are ingested, causing violent vomiting and possible kidney irritation.
  • Do not take the essential oil internally.
  • The Camphor oil obtained from a specific variety of cinnamon tree is not for use internally (see separately).
  • Caution is needed when using the essential oil as it is very strong (6 g of the oil is enough to kill a medium-sized dog in five hours) and must be diluted in a neutral oil before it is used topically.

Description

Native to Sri Lanka and India, cinnamon is now found growing in tropical forests worldwide to an altitude of 1,500 feet above sea level. It is extensively cultivated throughout the tropical regions, especially in the Philippines and West Indies, but mainly as a spice. The plant is a tropical evergreen tree that reaches about thirty feet in height. It has thick, smooth, pale bark and leathery, oval, green leaves with paler undersides and small white flowers. The bark, leaves, and the bluish, oval fruits are fragrant. Only the bark from wild trees is used medicinally as cultivated trees are less potent. After the bark is harvested, it is left twenty-four hours to ferment. The outer bark is then scraped away, leaving the inner bark for use. The inner bark is also distilled for its essential oil.

True cinnamon comes from C. zeylanicum, while the common cinnamon comes from C. cassia. Cassia, whether in oil or powder, is half the strength of true cinnamon. Therefore, it is much more abundant, cheaper, and consequently, less effective medicinally, but fine as a spice. It is the only form found in the US, although there are many other varieties.

History

Cinnamon has a long history of medicinal use and is one of the world’s most important spices.

It is one of the oldest tonic plants in the world. The ancients Theophrastus, Herodotus, Galen, Dioscorides, Pliny, and Strebo all mention it.

Chinese use dates back at least 5,000 years. One Chinese ancient stated that if you took cinnamon with toads’ brains for seven years, you would be able to walk on water, look young forever, and never die. However, it is unlikely that many would want to after such a challenge!

It was first used medicinally in Egypt and India and in parts of Europe since about 500 BCE.

Traditionally, it was taken for colds, flu, and digestive problems and is still used in much the same way today.

Key Actions

  • antiseptic
  • astringent
  • aids digesting
  • antispasmodic
  • antibacterial
  • antifungal
  • antiviral
  • anti-nausea
  • anti-flatulence
  • anti-diarrheal
  • carminative
  • hypoglycemic
  • promotes sweating
  • uterine stimulant
  • warming stimulant

Key Components

  • volatile oil (up to 4% with cinnamaldehyde 65-70% and eugenol 4-10%)
  • tannins (condensed)
  • mucilage
  • gum
  • sugars
  • coumarins

Medicinal Parts

Bark, twigs, essential oil

The cinnamaldehyde has been shown by Japanese researchers to be a sedative and analgesic and thought also to reduce blood pressure and fevers.

One Japanese study showed that it may also help prevent ulcers. This is plausible since it is an antimicrobial and some ulcers are caused by bacteria.

Cinnamon oil has exhibited antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, and larvicidal activities. Specifically, constituents in cinnamon are able to kill E. coli, Candida albicans, and Staphylococcus aureus. Staph infections usually cause lesions, pustules, and boils that can be terminal if spread to other organs.

Researchers at Kent State University, demonstrated that by adding one part cinnamon to 1000 parts apple cider, the combination killed more than 90% of the E. coli bacteria, a potentially deadly organism that is sometimes found in unpasteurized apple juice.

Eugenol, a chemical found in the oils of cloves, allspice, and cinnamon bark (but not cassia bark) has topical anesthetic properties, explaining its effectiveness as a painkiller for skin wounds.

Remedies

  • Dried twigs of the cassia are used to relieve “cold” conditions.
  • Essential oil is used on insect stings.
  • Tinctures are used for digestion.
  • Infusions are used for colds and flu.
  • The powder is used mainly in India to stimulate a weak digestion.

Traditional Uses

Western herbalists generally use the bark of zeylanicum, while the Chinese prefer their own species, cassia.

Regardless of the variety, the bark, leaves, and roots produce essential oils that are used, not only to scent and flavour, but also for tonics, antiseptics, and remedies for flatulence, nausea, colds, and high blood pressure. It has traditionally been used to relieve upset stomachs and gas, diarrhea, as well as for stimulating the appetite and enhancing digestion.

Externally, it reduces the pain of minor cuts and abrasions.

In China, the bark (rou gui) and the twigs (gui zhi) are used for separate conditions. The bark is believed to be best for conditions involving the torso, while the twigs are for fingers and toes.

Cinnamon is often combined with ginger to stimulate circulation and the digestion.

The Chinese believe that cinnamon heats up a cold body, improves circulation, and generally causes the blood to rush, which in turn, will remove toxins faster.

In India, it is used to stimulate inadequate contractions during labor, and is also an effective pain reliever.

In both China and in India, the use of cinnamon is used to promote regular and easy menstrual cycles.

Cinnamon is often used as a flavoring in toothpaste, not only because of its refreshing taste, but also because of its antiseptic properties that help kill bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease.

Cinnamon can also be beneficial to people with type-2 diabetes by reducing the amount of insulin necessary to metabolize glucose. Researchers found that one-eighth of a teaspoon of cinnamon can triple insulin efficiency.

Amargo

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Botanical Name

  • Family Simaroubaceae
  • Quassia amara (Amargo, Bitter Wood, Bitter Ash, Bitter Bark, Jamaica/Surinam/Japanese Quassia (Bark), Cuasia or Hombre Grande [Spanish])
  • Picrasma excelsa syn. Picraenia excelsa (Quassia, Ash, Bitter Ash, Bitterwood)

Cautions

  • It is contraindicated during pregnancy.
  • It should not be used by menstruating women as it may cause uterine colic.
  • Excessive doses may cause irritation of the digestive tract and vomiting.

Description

Native to the Caribbean, Jamaica, and northern Venezuela, amargo can be found growing from southern Mexico to Brazil. It is a deciduous tree that can reach 100 feet, but usually it is a smaller size of about twenty feet. This shrubby tree produces smooth, gray bark, compound leaves, small red flowers, and pea-sized black fruits. It can be found growing in forests near water, but it is also cultivated for its medicinal use. The bark is harvested throughout the year.

History

Quassia bark was first introduced into Europe from Suriname in 1756 and named after Quassia, a native healer, who told Europeans of its therapeutic value.

Although a tincture of the wood chips is prepared for use today as a digestive aid, native Jamaicans long ago devised another method to accomplish the same purpose. They carved cups and bowls from the wood, which imparted the bitter flavour of Quassia to any food that was poured into them. Thus, their foodstuffs became impregnated with the bitter principles, making digestion of the foods easier since only a small amount is required.

Key Actions

(a) Amargo

  • anthelmintic (for ascarid, pinworms, and threadworms)
  • choleretic
  • digestive stimulant
  • purgative

(b) Quassia

  • antimicrobial
  • antiviral
  • anthelminthic
  • anti-tumor
  • insecticidal

Key Components

(a) Amargo

  • triterpenes
  • indole alkaloids

(b) Quassia

  • bitter substances (quassinoids and canthinones)
  • alkaloids
  • a coumarin (scopoletin)
  • vitamin B1

Medicinal Parts

  • Bark
  • Some of the quassinoids have cytotoxic action, that is, they have a destructive effect on leukemia cells.
  • Other quassinoids stimulate secretions of the gastric juices which increases the appetite and aids digestion. They may also have a choleretic effect, that is, stimulating bile production by the liver.
  • Research has indicated that the substance quassin is responsible for an antifertility effect. Extracts from the stem wood appeared to shrink the testes of test animals, as well as significantly reducing both sperm count and testosterone levels in the blood.

Remedies

  • Decoctions are used internally to treat digestive complaints and externally, as an insect repellent.

Traditional Uses

Quassia is used in various countries for more or less the same thing, that is, to stimulate the appetite and promote digestion.

Homeopathic remedies are used for gallbladder complaints, as a bitter tonic, a purgarive and anthelmintic; but mainly, it supports and strengthens weakened digestive systems by increasing bile flow and the secretion of salivary juices and stomach acids. It is commonly used to stimulate a weakened appetite, especially in the treatment of anorexia.

The herb’s bitterness has also led to its being used as a treatment for malaria and other fevers.

Quassia chips are yellowish bits of wood commonly found in herbal supply stores in many parts of Latin America. They have two purposes. One is as an anthelmintic and frequently used for pinworms. The other is a stimulant to the digestion as they contain potent bitter principles.

In Mexico and Brazil, amargo is made into a decoction to be used for dyspepsia, as well as loss of appetite. Mexicans also use the bark to treat intestinal parasites.

In Costa Rica and Suriname, it is used for fevers, malaria, and dysentery.

In Brazil, it is used to treat gonorrhea, for lice and worm infestations, and as an antiseptic for wound treatments.

In Costa Rica and Brazil, it is used for diarrhea, dysentery, and intestinal gas. It is said that the indigenous carry around wood shavings of the bark to be used in decoctions whenever needed.

In Guyana, it is used for snake bites, liver disease, edema, and menstrual complaints.

In the Caribbean, it is given for dysentery. The bark has also been used in enemas to expel threadworms and other parasites.

The bark has been widely used as a febrifuge (fever reducer) and insecticide.

The plant is so bitter — more so than quinine — that extracts of it are used commercially in the production of bitters and other flavorings.

In Central America, the wood is used to construct clothing storage boxes to keep away moths.

A most unusual use is to treat alcoholism. By mixing an extract with sulfuric acid and other substances to produce a tonic, it is said to destroy the appetite for alcohol. This use is not recommended, however, because of the sulfuric acid.

For educational purposes only.
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.