Cinnamon, also known as cassia is an amazing healer - and the good news is that it smells better than garlic.
Medicinally, cinnamon has the following properties - carminative, astringent, topical stimulant, aphrodisiac, anti-fungal, antibacterial, diuretic, digestive stimulant, antiseptic. I think all of those are self-explanatory except "carminative." Maybe you know that term, but I had to look it up. Here is what I found, "a drug causing expulsion of gas from the stomach or bowel." There ya have it, it gets rid of gas.
I use a lot of cinnamon in tea, on toast, and in baking recipes. I also keep cinnamon sticks on hand for chewing - my kids love them. The cinnamon you usually buy in the grocery store is made from the dried inner bark of young trees and has a "hot" flavor. It still has these medicinal properties, but they are much stronger in the strain of cinnamon called Cinnamomun Verum. It is harder to obtain, but it is very sweet and rich in flavor and not as hot.
You can probably guess that I get most of my cinnamon from The Bulk Herb Store. www.bulkherbstore.com They sell a loose tea mix called Dr. Cinnamon that is very tasty. Actually, as I type, I have a cup mixed with loose leaf spearmint...yum!
There have been many studies done on the medicinal uses of this fragrant spice. Here are some of the results:
Fights Tooth Decay - The anti-bacterial properties have proven very effective in fighting the bacteria that causes tooth decay, as well as the bacteria that causes bad breath. We enjoy chewing on cinnamon sticks for these issues. I have also chewed up a "wad" of a cinnamon stick and kept the mass pressed against my gum for a canker sore. When the "heat" is gone I spit on the bark. It works very well for this type of infection.
Upset Stomach - This spice has been used for digestive issues very effectively. I use it in tea form for an upset stomach.
Urinary Tract Infection - A study done in Germany shows that cinnamon completely suppresses the bacteria that commonly causes UTIs (Escherichia coli bacteria). It also effectively killed the fungus responsible for most vaginal yeast infections (Candida albicans). The tea would also be the most effective way to ingest cinnamon to treat either of these illnesses.
Diabetes - Cinnamon has been used effectively to help those with Type II Dibetes be able to use less insulin. Cinnamon reduces the amount of insulin necessary for glucose (sugar) metabolism. “One-eighth of a teaspoon of cinnamon triples insulin efficiency,” says James A. Duke, Ph.D., a botanist retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and author of The CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Taking ½ to ¾ teaspoon of ground Cinnamon with each meal may help control blood sugar levels. It can be sprinkled on toast, in hot cereal, or plain powder.
There are many other benefits to this spice. For instance, cinnamon has been used to treat a phlegmy cough, athlete's foot, to stimulate circulation, and to treat infantile diarrhea.
One final way that I have used this pungent spice is the staunch bleeding. With my little "wild man" 8 year old, we have a lot of bleeding around here. He regularly cuts something, causing blood to flow. Several months ago, he fell off of his scooter and busted his chin open. The cut went pretty deep and was bleeding a lot. I got the bottle of cinnamon and dabbed the powder over the cut. It almost immediately stopped the blood flow. Cinnamon restricts blood vessels, which is the reason it works so effectively. Its antiseptic properties are an added bonus when it comes to cuts, and according to my children, it doesn't burn.
Cinnamon is non-toxic in food form, unless there is an allergy. However, use extreme caution when using cinnamon oil. It is highly concentrated and can burn the skin. Also, it has been shown to cause nausea and vomiting and sometimes even kidney damage when ingested. NEVER ingest pure cassia oil!
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