Cinnamon, White

Medicinal Herb Information ‘C’

Ø Cinnamon, White (Wild) And Common Cinnamon:

White (Wild) Cinnamon is traditionally used for Arthritis, bedwetting, cold, colic, coughs, diarrhea, digestive malabsorption, dysentery, dysmenorrhea, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, flatulence, flu, halitosis, headache, irregular menses, low blood pressure, lumbago, nausea, poor appetite, poor circulation, poor vision, prostatitis, rheumatism, tuberculosis

Common Cinnamon is traditional used for Arthritis, bedwetting, cold, colic, coughs, diarrhea, digestive Malabsorption, dysentery, dysmenorrhea, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, flatulence, flu, halitosis, headache, irregular menses, low blood pressure, lumbago, nausea, poor appetite, poor circulation, poor vision, prostatitis, rheumatism, tuberculosis

§      Warning: No interactions have been reported.

∞      Botanical name: (White or Wild) Canella alba (MURRAY) A Modern Herbal;   Common Cinnamomum zeylanicum (NEES.) A Modern Herbal; Wikipedia.org

€       This symbol is for the Chinese information

€       Chinese Botanical name: Cassia (Cinnamomum cassia (L.) Presl) Gernot Katzer's Spice Page – Cortex Cinnamomi (Rougiu) Herbasin Chinese herb database; Cinnamomum aromaticum PDR health.com

€       ---Medicinal Action and Uses---This is difference with Chinese Cinnamon – Appetite loss, Bronchitis, Colds, Cough, Fever, Indigestion, Sore throat and Tendency to infection. PDR health.com

§ Warning: ---Possible Drug Interactions---No interactions have been reported.

€       ---Synonyms--- Canella; White Wood; Wild Cinnamon; Canellae Cortex

€       ---Description of the herb Chinese cinnamon bark

---Chinese cinnamon is an evergreen tree with thick leathery leaves. Yellow flowers appear in summer followed by berries.

€       ---Parts used---The inner bark, leafy twigs, dried fruit and oil are used in herbal preparations.

€       ---Properties---Cinnamon bark is a pungent, sweet, warming herb that stimulates circulation, relieves spasms, lowers fever and blood pressure, controls bleeding and infections, and relieves indigestion.It contains a volatile oil which contains cinnamaldehyde and other cinnamate derivatives as well as phenolic compounds (condensed tannins), flavonoid derivatives (proanthocyanidins, oligomers or cinnamtannins), mucilage, calcium oxalate, resins, sugars, and coumarins. The bark contains procyanidins, phenylpropanoids and mucilage.

€       ---Internal use---In Western allopathic medicine it is used for diarrhea, flatulent dyspepsia and colds, while Chinese medicine uses it for diarrhea as well, and also for poor appetite, low vitality, under performing kidneys, as well as for colds, angina, palpitations, fevers and rheumatic and arthritic complaints. The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia list it for use in flatulent dyspepsia, flatulent colic, diarrhea, specifically colic or dyspepsia with flatulent distension and nausea The bark is also used to flavor sweets, cool drinks, chewing gum, curries and condiments. The flowers are traditionally used as a "blood purifier". Chinese Cinnamon Bark

--- Physiological Character--- Analgesic, anodyne, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, aphrodisiac, aromatic, astringent, cardiac stimulant, carminative, circulatory stimulant, decongestant, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, hemostatic, mucolytic, stimulant, stomachic, vasodilator, yang tonic

---Part used---

---Cultivation--- Native to southern China, cinnamon is an evergreen tree, usually not taller tan ten feet, with oval, oblong leaves that are five to nine inches long. It bears yellow-white flowers. The tree’s thick bark is peeled away in layers and curls as it dry, becoming what we know familiarly as “cinnamon sticks.” Cinnamon grows best in hot, humid conditions (the tropics) in sandy soils close to the sea.

---Description--- A straight tree, from 10 to 50 feet in height, branched only at the top. The bark is whitish and the leaves alternate, oblong, thick, and of a dark, shining, laurel green. The flowers are small, and seldom open. They are of a violet colour, and grow in clusters at the tops of the branches. The fruit is an oblong berry containing four kidney-shaped seeds, and turns from green to blue and then to a glossy black. The wild pigeons of Jamaica eat the fruit, and their flesh is flavored by them. The whole tree is aromatic, and if the flowers are dried, then softened again in warm water, they have a fragrance resembling musk. Canella was first introduced into Britain in 1600. The Spaniards, on seeing it in America, thought it was a species of cinnamon, and brought it to Europe as 'white cinnamon.' The corky layer of the bark can be gently beaten off, and the inner bark is dried, and exported chiefly from the Bahamas. In commerce the bark is found in quills or twisted pieces, of a pale orange-brown, with characteristic markings scars, or spots. The fracture is short, granular, and whitish. The odour is agreeable, resembling cloves and cinnamon, and the taste is pungent, bitter, and acrid. The wild cinnamon is used as a condiment or spice, and it is sometimes added by smokers to their tobacco to remove the unpleasant odour and make their rooms fragrant.

---Constituents--- Calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, essential oil (cinnamic aldehyde, phellandrene), gum, tannin, catechin, mannitol, coumarins, mucilage

---Medicinal Action and Uses--- Cinnamon (wild) is warming and is known to stimulate the digestive tract. It has been shown to have activity against staphylococcus and botulism.Topically, cinnamon can be used as a rinse for conditioning and high-lighting dark hair. Used as a mouthwash, it freshen the breath. It can be used as a wash to treat fungal infections, such as athlete’s foot, and in the bath to relieve chills and sore muscles. As a steam inhalation, it helps colds, coughs, and sore throat.

---Nutrient Source---

---Flavor--- Cinnamon produces a warm, sweet, pungent tea with warming, drying energy. It combines well with other spices, such as cloves, ginger, and orange peel, as well as black tea.

---Contraindications--- Avoid cinnamon in cases of fever, hemorrhoids, dry stools, blood in the urine, or excessive dryness. Avoid large amounts during pregnancy and while nursing. Do not ingest large doses over long periods of time. Doses larger than 2 grams could cause delirium, hallucinations, and convulsions.

---Side Effects or Negative Effects---

---Deterrent--- No known at this time (12/2/2008)

Â ---References--- “Herbal Medicine – The Natural way to Get Well and Stay Well” by – Dian Dincin Buchman, PhD; Copyright 1979, 1996; ISBN: 0-517-14767-x; Page

Â ---References--- The Healing Herbs – The Ultimate Guide to the Curative Power of Nature’s Medicines” by – Michael Castleman; Copyright 1991; ISBN: 0-87857-934-6; Page: 72 – 74

Â ---References--- “Nutritional Herbology” A Reference Guide to Herbs By – Mark Pedersen ISBN: 1-885653-07-7 Copyright 2008

Â ---References--- “Healing Herbal Teas” A Complete Guide to Making Delicious, Healthful Beverages. By – Brigitte Mars, A.H.G. ISBN - 13: 978-59120-110-6 and ISBN – 10: 1-59120-110-1 Copyright 2006

Â ---References--- A Modern Herbal

Â ---References---

Ø Recipe: When making cinnamon tea, use cinnamon sticks that you can crush with a mortar and pestle or blender. Using cinnamon powder will make a muddy, over spiced tea.

Ø Recipe: