Cinnamon Benefits Remedies Origin Nutritive Value Medicinal Virtues Uses Dalchini

CINNAMON (Dalchini)

The cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is an evergreen perennial tree, which grows upto a height of about six to eight m. The leaves of the plant are large, 10 to 20 cm. in length and 6to 10 cm. in width. They are egg-shaped, thick, leathery, pointed at tip and shining green and lighter coloured beneath. The flowers are minute, in large hairy clusters. Fruits are oblong or eggshaped, about 1.5 to 2 cm. long and dark purple, with one seed.

The bark of the tree is thick, smooth and brownish dark in colour. The inner bark is obtained from carefully selected shoots. It is then cured and dried. During drying, the brak shrinks and curls into a cylinder or “quill”. They have a pleasing fragrant odour and a warm, sweet and aromatic taste.

The shoots of the two year old cinnamon tree are cut and the bark is peeled after the branches are exposed to air for about twenty for hours. Then the bark is packed inside one another and dried. Cinnamon occurs in long cylindrical dry bark of brown colour. The bark is thin and brittle.

Cinnamon bark is one of the most popular spices used in every home. It has a delicate fragrance and a warm agreeable taste. It is extensively used as a spice or condiment in the form of small pieces or powder.

Origin and Distribution:

Cinnamon is a native of Sri Lanka and other parts of tropical Asia. It has been cultivated from very ancient times. Ancient Chinese herbals mention it as early as 2700 B.C. Cinnamon was an ingredient in ancient Egyptian embalming mixtures. In the Bible, Moses used it in holy anointing oil.

After the fall of Rome, trade between Europe and Asia be came difficult, but cinnamon was so prized that it still found its way west.

A native of South India this tree occurs upto an altitude of about 1500, but is more common at lower altitudes, even below 200m. It is also cultivated in certain parts of India. Today, Sri Lanka exports cinnamon to all parts of the world.

Natritive Value/Composition:

An analysis of cinnamon shows it to consist of moisture 9.9 per cent, protein 4.6 per cent, fat (ether extract) 2.2 per cent, fibre 20.3 per cent, carbohydrates 59.5 per cent and total ash 3.5 per cent 100 gm. Its mineral and vitamin contents are calcium 1.6 per cent, phosphorus 0.05 per cent, iron 0.004 per cent, sodium cent, riboflavin 0.21 mg. per cent, niacin 1.9 mg. per cent vitamin C 39.8 mg. per cent and vitamin A 175 I.U., per 100 grams. Its calorific value is 355. Cinnamon contains 2.0 per cent of an essential oil known as cinnamon oil. This oil consists of 70-90 per cent of eugenol. The bark contains 0.5-1.0 per cent oil and green leaves yield about 1 per cent oil. The root bark yields 3 per cent oil, which differs from both stem bark and leaf oils. The chief chemical constituents of cinnamon oil are cinnamic aldehyde, eugenol, phellandrene and other terpenes.

Medicinal Virtues:

The Chiness used the bark of this tree as a medicine and Chinese herbalists still recommend it for fever, diarrhoea and menstrual problems. The Romans also knew about the medicinal value f this bark. Even Indians knew about the therapeutic uses of this herb long before the 8^th century. The oldest record available about the description of cinnamon is in the Torah. The Ceyloese started collecting the bark of this tree for its medicinal used in the 12^th century. It was, however, Khizvenee who was the first person to give details about the medicinal virtues of this herb in the 13^th century.

The leaves can be used in the form of powder or decoction. They are stimulant and useful in relieving flatulence and increasing secretion and discharge of urine. Cinnamon prevents nervous tension, improves complexion and memory. A pinch of cinnamon powder mixed with honey should be taken regularly every night for these conditions.

Cinnamon also soothes stomach incase of indigestion, controls blood sugar in diabetics, prevents stomach ulcers, wards off urinary tract infections, fights tooth decay and gum disease and prevents vaginal yeast infections. It gives a sweetish tingling warm feeling when chewed. It is astringent in taste.

Infectious diseases : According to Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D., director of the American Phytotherapy Research Laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah, and author of the Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine, “Cinnamon is an antiseptic that helps kill bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease”.  Cinnamon also kills many disease-causing fungi and viruses. One German study Showed it “suppresses completely” the cause of most urinary tract infections and the fungus responsible for  vaginal yeast infections.

Viral disease : Cinnamon is an antiviral food and is useful in preventing and treating viral infections. A drink made from it has disinfectant properties. This drink is prepared by putting half a teaspoon of tincture, obtained from the bark of cinnamon tree, in 285 ml of hot water. Taken daily before going into crowded places, it protects against colds and influenza, when these diseases are prevalent in an epidemic from. It also gives a glow of warmth to the whole body.

Cinnamon is also an effective remedy for cold and other viral infections when have already occurred. A decoction should be prepared by boiling 5 cm coarsely powderd cinnamon in a glass of water with a pinch of pepper powder and honey. This decoction can be nebeficially used a medicine in case of influenza, sore throat and malaria. Cinnamon oil, mixed with honey also gives immense relief from cold.

Chronic Indigestion : Cinnamon stimulates digestion and relieves gas in the stomach. It should be used in the form of decoction in the same manner as for cold and influenza. This decoction can also be used as a carminative medicine for flatulence and indigestion. A tablespoon of this water should be taken half an hour after meals. Cinnamon also checks nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Cinnamon oil 1 to 2 drops taken on a lump of sugar thrice daily also acts as a carminative-antiseptic medicine for indigestion, diarrhea, flatulent colic and dyspepsia.

Diabetes : Cinnamon appears to help people with diabetes metabolize sugar. In non-insulin-dependent type of diabetes, the pancreas produces insulin, but the body cannot use it efficiently to break down glucose, the simple sugar that fuels body functions. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers discovered that cinnamon reduces the amount of insulin necessary for glucose metabolism.

“One-eighth of a teaspoon of cinnamon triples insulin efficiency”. Says James A. Duke, Ph.D., a botanist retired from the USDA and author of The CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs.For people with diabetes, 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon per meal may help control blood sugar levels.

Natural Birth-Control : This spice can be used as a natural birth control. It has a remarkable effect on checking the early release of ova after child-birth. A piece of cinnamon taken every night after a month of child-birth thus delays menstruation for more than 15 to 20 months and prevents early conception. It also indirectly helps the secretion of breast milk and it has been proved that prolonged breast feeding checks the appearance of menstruation after child-birth.

Women’s Problems : The use of cinnamon has been found valuable in redcing labour pain during child-birth. A decoction of this spice should be taken in treating this condition.

Headache: The headache produced by exposure to cold air is readily removed by plastering the temples and the forehead with a paste of finely powdered cinnamon in water. Rubbing the forehead with cinnamon oil also relieves headache.

Toothache: The oil cinnamon has been found beneficial in the treatment of toothache. A cotton swab should be drenched with one or two drops of the oil and placed on a painful tooth to obtain relief.

Acne :The use of cinnamon has been found beneficial in the treatment of Acne. A paste should be prepared from powdered cinnamon with few drops of fresh lime juice. This paste can be applied beneficially over pimples and blackheads.

Other Ailments : Cinnamon is beneficial in the treatment of several other ailments, including spasmodic afflictions, asthma, paralysis, excessive menstruation, uterus disorders and gonorrhea. The aromatic flavor of cinnamon is good mouth cleaner. It removes the foul smell. A pinch of cinnamon powder taken with honey, daily at night, helps stop frequent passing of urine during the day.

Uses:

Dried Cinnamon leaves and inner bark are used for flavouring cakes, sweets and in curry powder, They are also used in incense, dentrifrices and perfumes. Cinnamon bark oil is used for flavouring confectionery and liqueurs and in pharmaceutical and dental preparations. Cinnamon leaf oil is used in perfumes and flavouring and also in the synthesis of vanillin. Cinnamon oil is found to be an excellent food preservative.

Precaution:

The excessive use of cinnamon should be avoided as it may prove harmful to the kidneys and the bladder. Pregnant women should avoid the use of the spice, as it may bring about abortion. Persons of hot constitution should also avoid its use, as it may cause headache in them.