5 Top Benefits, Uses & Side Effects Of Cinnamon For Diabetes, Weight Loss, Cholesterol, Skin & Hair


I spent the last 10 days in Sri Lanka and it was a welcome change, we enjoyed the beautiful beaches, their wonderful cuisine and the amazing Buddhist temples. Since ours is a family of forest lovers, we also enjoyed the very scenic wildlife sanctuaries. We also visited a small island called cinnamon island where they showed us how Ceylon cinnamon bark is cut, prepared and packaged for our daily use, they had also listed the uses of Ceylon cinnamon. It was the first time I became aware of the different cinnamon varieties and the wonders of using Ceylon cinnamon over the regular Chinese cinnamon. I thought I will share what I learnt there so everyone can know about the benefits and how cinnamon bark is cut and dried. Cinnamon is the inner bark of trees belonging to genus cinnamomum. Generally it is called Dalchini in Hindi, pattai in Tamil, Dalchinna Chekka in Telugu, Lavana Patte in Kannada, Darchini in Bengali and Karuvapatta in Malayalam. Though there are many varieties of cinnamon, the two common varieties are Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamom Zeylanicum (old name) | Cinnamon Verum (new name)) and Chinese cinnamon  (Cinnamomum Cassia). The cinnamon that I saw in Sri Lanka is Ceylon Cinnamon and it is considered the true cinnamon. The main difference between the Ceylon cinnamon and Chinese cinnamon is in the coumarin content, Chinese cinnamon has higher amounts of coumarin which has got blood thinning properties. Cinnamon bark has been used as a medicine from olden days all over the world and here are the benefits of cinnamon: 1. Cinnamon For Skin & Hair: Cinnamon has anti acne properties and it has been proven through research, you can read about the study proving the use here. To use it as a medicine for acne, mix pure cinnamon powder with yogurt or milk and apply on the face. Most people (my skin burns too) will experience burning sensation when applying the paste on the face which is normal. If you experience unbearable burning sensation, I would suggest mixing cinnamon oil with a carrier oil and using it instead of the pack. Cinnamon can also used for lightening hair when mixed together with chamomile tea, you can find the recipe for it here. 2. Cinnamon For Diabetes: Cinnamon powder has been recommended for people with type 2 diabetes and this traditional use has been proven to be very effective thorough clinical research, you can read about the study here. 3. Cinnamon For Cholesterol: Cinnamon also has cholesterol reducing properties which is also clearly proven through research in the above study given. 4. Cinnamon For Cough & Cold: Cinnamon powder mixed with honey is a good home remedy for cough. The decoction made by boiling cinnamon in water and mixed with honey is very soothing when had during cold and cough. 5. Cinnamon For Weight Loss: Since it reduces cholesterol and helps maintain stable blood sugar levels it will greatly aid in weight loss when combined together with daily exercise and a good diet. Side Effects Of Cinnamon: Since Chinese cinnamon has got higher amount of coumarin, it should not be taken in a large dose on a regular basis daily else it will affect the kidneys and liver. Ceylon cinnamon is recommended for daily usage as it has negligible amount of coumarin in it. This information shocked me really as some of my own family members are using Chinese cinnamon powder regularly on a daily basis. The main problem is that the manufactures don’t write the type of cinnamon in the packets sold. So how do we find out whether it is Ceylon cinnamon? Ceylon cinnamon has multiple layers, is very fragile and breaks easily into pieces whereas Chinese cinnamon is very hard to break. Ceylon cinnamon also has a mild sweet smell whereas Chinese cinnamon has a more pungent smell. The Chinese cinnamon has a reddish tone whereas Ceylon cinnamon is light brown in color. Next time when you are buying cinnamon look out for these differences. Though it is perfectly safe to use any variety of cinnamon for our cooking, I would suggest using only Ceylon cinnamon powder for daily basis if using it as a medicine. 



HOW CEYLON CINNAMON STICKS ARE MADE :

1. The outer rough layer of the cinnamon bark is scraped off.

2. It is collected and used as a manure.

3. This is the middle part…

4. The middle part is scraped of using a sharp knife into long curls and the inner most part is used for making tooth picks.

5. The curls are then air dried placed on ropes.

6. Once completely dry, they are packaged and sold…

NOTES:

  • Once you start identifying Ceylon cinnamon in the markets, you can easily spot it anywhere…
  • Make sure to use only Ceylon cinnamon for medicinal uses.
  • With cinnamon powders we should be very careful as it is easy to get mixed up, if you are not sure make your own cinnamon powder from Ceylon cinnamon, it is easy to powder it.


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20 Comments

  1. Ganesh Ramaswamy
    January 6, 2016 / 6:02 am

    Madam, Happy new year 2016!! I am regularly browsing your website and all the posts are awesome !! I was planning to use cinnamon for diabetes, by taking it with tea !! I doubted from the photo above, what I am using is chineese cinnamon. Request if you could share the photos of both the cinnamon, the Ceylon cinnamon shown here is packed for better clarity of all the visitors. Thanks for the post and keep doing the good work !!

  2. Ganesh Ramaswamy
    January 20, 2016 / 4:15 am

    Hi, can you put photos of both Ceylon cinnamon & Chinese one so that it will help to identify. I am trying to use Ceylon cinnamon for medical benefits as suggested in your blog

  3. Ramya Venkateshwaran
    January 28, 2016 / 3:49 pm

    Hi Sir, I am very very sorry for the late reply and belated happy new year to you too. I will try updating the post with clear pictures of Ceylon cinnamon soon, meanwhile please look at this link for the picture: http://www.freshcinnamon.com/ . As you can see there will be lot of layers in Ceylon cinnamon when compared to Chinese which will just have 1 or 2 layers……

  4. Kalpana Reji
    April 26, 2016 / 6:14 pm

    Hi Ramya Ji..these days a common problem found among Indian women is Vitamin D deficiency…I am one among them..Urban lifestyles are one of the main reasons..To overcome this, will you please let know what time is the right time to get exposed to Sun to get Vitamin D…and also how long do we need to get exposed to Sun…

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      June 4, 2016 / 3:59 pm

      My grandma used to insist on getting the early morning sun light for 10 to 1 5 minutes, it will also be pleasant to stand in the sun's rays then…

  5. Madha Calldrivers
    August 18, 2016 / 5:10 am

    ANTY GOOD MORNING ,I AM 29 YRS OLD MALE,I MASTERBATE FOR PAST 16 YRS OLD, NOW VME SUFFERED FROM(NOT GOOD SLEEP,TIRED,HUNGRY NESS,PAIN,IF OUT SIDE GOES ME ALWAYS SLEEP BY TRAVEL TIME,U GIVE ME GOOD SOLN

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      August 18, 2016 / 6:02 pm

      I would suggest ashwagandha for a few days, please read about ashwagandha in the blog…

  6. Deva
    October 6, 2016 / 5:44 am

    Dear Madam,My mother is having sugar and she is taking cinnamon water everyday(boiled 1 cup water with cinnamon until the water reduced to 1/2 cup). Now her sugar level is reducing , But My friends are suggesting to avoid this. because it reduce your weight also. my mother is only 46 KG weight.

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      October 7, 2016 / 4:02 pm

      Cinnamon helps maintain blood sugar levels and reduce cholesterol but weight loss will only happen only if it accompanied with calorie restricted diet. If food intake is normal, there will not be any weight loss consuming cinnamon powder…

  7. Daari
    November 7, 2016 / 2:31 pm

    Dear Ramya, I am planning to take cinnamon powder for lowering cholesterol. Please advice on the daily dosage and method to take. Thanks.

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      November 25, 2017 / 5:05 pm

      Usually the suggested dosage is 1/2 to 1 tsp per day. I would suggest using only Ceylon cinnamon for best results…

  8. Divya Divi
    May 15, 2017 / 6:27 am

    Hii mam , am taking ceylon cinnamon water everyday (boild 1 cup water with 1 tablespoon cinnamon powder with honey – morning before meals and night before sleeping ) in last 2 months for reducing weight loss .. My friends are suggesting to avoid this for taking regular basis.. it causes any side effects .. continous using cinnamon powder is good for health r not. please suggest me Mam.. Thanks.

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      November 25, 2017 / 5:07 pm

      If you take cinnamon in the suggested dosage of 1/2 to 1 tsp per day and use Ceylon cinnamon powder instead of Chinese cinnamon for weight loss, there will not be any side effects…

    • Divya Divi
      November 30, 2017 / 8:59 am

      tanx Mam

    • Nirosh Krishna
      December 27, 2017 / 6:16 am

      How long can i intake cinnamon power for weight loss to reduce 10 kgs ???

  9. Unknown
    November 25, 2017 / 3:01 am

    We call lavanga pattai in Tamil, is this pattai the bark of the cloves tree or please explain u the botanical origin for the samefor better understanding

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      November 25, 2017 / 5:12 pm

      Lavanga Pattai is the bark of cinnamon tree. The two common varieties of cinnamon found in Tamil Nadu are Ceylon cinnamon | Surul Pattai (Botanical Name:Cinnamom Zeylanicum (old name) | Cinnamon Verum (new name)) and Chinese cinnamon | Pattai (Botanical Name: Cinnamomum Cassia). I would suggest using surul pattai…

  10. buna sree
    December 2, 2017 / 11:16 am

    Hi mam i have a 2 months baby feeding also .can i take cinamon any affect for my baby?

  11. Micky
    February 28, 2018 / 3:18 am

    Hello,Heard about cinnamon for weight loss, there are many procedures about how to take it with honey.Please confirm which is the best method for weight loss with no side effect with exact ratio. And another thing cassia is different i read, please make me understand how to choose this correct cinnamon powder. Any brand name recommended for this powder or anything to identify it.And how long should i follow this.Thanking you in advance.

  12. January 2, 2024 / 6:10 pm

    What are the notable differences between Ceylon cinnamon and Chinese cinnamon in terms of texture, smell, color, and other characteristics? Why do you recommend using Ceylon cinnamon powder for daily consumption, especially when used as a medicine?
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