Cinnamon/Dalchini - Health benefits, application, chemical constituents, side effects and many more

                Cinnamon(Dalchini)

Cinnamon is one of the most important spices used daily by people all over the world. Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus Cinnamomum. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfast cereals, snackfoods, tea and traditional foods. The term "cinnamon" also is used to describe its mid-brown colour.Cinnamon is mainly used in the aroma and essence industries due to its fragrance, which can be incorporated into different varieties of foodstuffs, perfumes, and medicinal products.

The bark of various cinnamon species is one of the most important and popular spices used worldwide not only for cooking but also in traditional and modern medicines. Overall, approximately 250 species have been identified among the cinnamon genus, with trees being scattered all over the world. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, lipid-lowering, and cardiovascular-disease-lowering effect, with this cinnamon has also been reported to have activities against neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. It has been used as anti-inflammatory,  antitermitic, nematicidal, mosquito larvicidal, insecticidal, antimycotic, and anticancer agent.

It has different names in different languages such as Hindi Name( Dalchini ), English Name( Cinnamon ), Telugu Name( Dalchina chekka ), Tamil Name( Ilayangam ), Bengali Name( Daruchini ), Gujarati Name( Taja ), Marathi Name(Dalchini), Sanskrit Name(Darushila)

Vitamin and  mineral content

Vitamins : Vitamin A, Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Vitamin B6, Folate (B9), Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K.

Minerals : Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc.

resinous compounds : cinnamaldehyde, cinnamate, cinnamic acid, and numerous essential oils.

Chemical constituents : Cinnamaldehyde, Eugenol, Benzaldehyde, Methyl amyl ketone, Phellandrene, Pinene, Cymene, Linalool, Cumic, Aldehyde, Caryophyllene, safrole, Methyl evgenol, Borneol, Cinnamyl alcohol, Cinnzeylanin, Cinnzeylanol,(-) epicatechin, Cinnacassiol D1 etc.

Wide range of essential oil : trans-cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, eugenol, L-borneol, caryophyllene oxide, b-caryophyllene, L-bornyl acetate, E-nerolidol, α-cubebene, α-terpineol, terpinolene, and α-thujene.

• spicy taste and fragrance are due to the presence of cinnamaldehyde and occur due to the absorption of oxygen.

• As cinnamon ages, it darkens in color, improving the resinous compounds.

•  Coumarins are secondary phyto-chemicals with strong anticoagulant, carcinogenic and hepato-toxic properties

Leaves.	Cinnamaldehyde: 1.00 to 5.00%, Eugenol: 70.00 to 95.00%
Bark	Cinnamaldehyde: 65.00 to 80.00%, Eugenol: 5.00 to 10.00%
Root bark	Camphor: 60.00%
Fruit	trans-Cinnamyl acetate (42.00 to 54.00%) and caryophyllene (9.00 to 14.00%)

                                ............ (refrance : NCBI, Wikipedia, spices board of India and pubmed )

Properties and uses of cinnamon

• Rasa (taste) – Katu (pungent), Tikta (bitter), Madhura (sweet)

• Guna (qualities) – Laghu (light to digestion), Rooksha (dryness), Teekshna (piercing, strong, sharp)

• Veerya- Ushna (hot potency)

• Vipaka- Katu (pungent)

• Vishapaha – anti toxic, useful in toxic conditions

• Kanta Vaktra Rujahara – relieves throat and oral pain

• Shiroruk hara – relieves headache

• Basti Shodhana – cleanses urinary bladder. It acts as diuretic. Hence fights urinary retention, dysuria.

• Pittala – slightly increases Pitta Dosha

• Hrut Bastigata Jantujit – relieves microbe infestation related to bladder, lungs and heart.

• Peenasa – useful in rhinitis

• Aruchi – relieves anorexia/tastelessness

• Kandu – relieves itching, pruritis

• Amavatahara – useful in rheumatoid arthritis

• Shukrahrut – not ideal to improve semen, sperm quality and quantity

• Vataja Arsha –useful in painful hemorrhoids

• Krumihara – useful in worm infestation, infected wounds

• Peenasahara – relieves allergic rhinitis, running nose

• Kaphakasahara – relieves cough with sputum

• Amahara – Relieves ama – a product of indigestion and altered metabolism.

Because of its Pitta increasing property, it is useful in treating amenorrhea, delayed periods.

• Kantashuddhikara – cleanses, clears throat. Improves voice.

Health Benefits of Cinnamon

1) Improves Digestion:

A natural digestive with hot potency, powdered bark of cinnamon boosts digestion, relieves flatulence, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome and also improves liver function. Adding it with other spices or sprinkling it on everyday foods removes AMA toxins from the body, improves absorption of nutrients from food, promotes digestion and also helps in burning belly fat.

2) Relieves Cough and Cold:

It's antiinflammatory, antibacterial and warming properties of cinna mon helps to get relief from sore throat cough pain and Melts mucus(clears respiratory passage). It acts as a expectorant(

expels mucus from the body). cinnamon is so popular in cool weather. Its warming properties comfort, soothe, and help clear out the airways. Cinnamon can be combined with other warming botanicals like ginger and pepper and boiled into an herbal tea. Cinnamaldehyde, one of the main active components of cinnamon, may help fight various kinds of infection.

3) Antioxidants effects

Antioxidants protect your body from oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Cinnamon is loaded with powerful antioxidants, such as polyphenols. 

                -it is so powerful that cinnamon can be used as a natural food preservative.

4) Enhances Skin Health:

The anti-inflammatory property of cinnamon is helpful for fighting acne, pimples and other skin infections. Ayurveda strongly suggests that regular use of cinnamon oil for increasing the production of collagen and elastin, thus treating the signs of aging. 

           Tip: make a paste of the bark and apply to the infected area

                                   ..............( Ref: BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, ncbi, pibmed, chark samhita)

Intake or uses of cinnamon

1) gram of cinnamon along with a teaspoon of  honey once a day relieves itching, indigestion and for weight loss, decrease LDL.

2) powder of cinnamon also added in fruit juices to improve flavor and to boost health benefits of the juice.

3) In people with dental caries etc, a small piece of cinnamon can be chewed daily.

4) Cinnamon oil, when applied externally heals wounds quickly. 2 – 5 drops of the oil is applied over the site of insect bites to detoxify local area and to relieve stinging pain.

5) take small piece of cinnamon and chew it for 5-10 minute to get relief from bad breath and also increase the strength of teeth.

6) for toothache, gum problems make a paste of cinnamon in honey and apply 2-3 times daily.

7) for sinus headache make a paste of half tsp. cinnamon mixed in water and apply to the temples or the area of pain.

8) for diarrhoea combine half cup yoghurt, half tsp. cinnamon and pinch of nutmeg. Eat this 2-3 times daily until symptoms subside.

9) Cold hands and feet: Steep 1tsp. cinnamon and one forth(¼) tsp. trikatu, (dry ginger, black pepper and long pepper), in 1 cup hot water for 10 minutes, add honey and drink 2 times daily. (If you don't have trikatu you can use one eighth(1/8) tsp. dry ginger and one eighth(1/8) tsp. black pepper instead).

10) Pure cinnamon taken in this form helps detox the GI tract while strengthening your digestion, improving absorption, and supporting healthy blood sugar. 

11) Cinnamon is a coagulant and prevents bleeding. Cinnamon also increases the blood circulation in the uterus and advances tissue regeneration.

12) Powder of the bark can be infused with warm water and honey to reap its benefits. The essential oil from the cinnamon bark also has soothing effects on the mind and body.

                                         ...............(Ref : science daily, bhavaprakasha, Alandi ayurveda, California College of Ayurveda, research published by  P. V. Rao and S. H. Gan.)

Research: 

The researchers found that after eating the cinnamon, the poor learning mice had improved memory and learning at a level found in good learning mice. However, they did not find any significant improvement among good learners by cinnamon.

            -  a small part in the brain that generates, organizes and stores memory. Researchers have found that the hippocampus of poor learners has less CREB (a protein involved in memory and learning) and more alpha5 subunit of GABAA receptor or GABRA5 (a protein that generates tonic inhibitory conductance in the brain) than good learners. The mice in the study received oral feedings of ground cinnamon, which their bodies metabolized into sodium benzoate, a chemical used as a drug treatment for brain damage. When the sodium benzoate entered the mice's brains, it increased CREB, decreased GABRA5, and stimulated the plasticity (ability to change) of hippocampal neurons.

                              ...........( Ref : Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology, 2016 )

Note : 1) It is used in the preparation of chocolate, especially in Mexico.

            2) Cinnamon bark is pungent in taste and treats cough, colicky pain, disorders caused due to ama and cleanses the throat and is light for digestion.

           3) Balances Vata and Kapha but Increases Pitta.

           4) Cinnamon contains phytochemicals which boost the brains ability to utilize glucose. 

  

           5) Cinnamon leaf and bark oil are obtained by distilling the leaf and bark separately. 

            6) The cinnamon bark oil has anti-fungal properties and cinnamon leaf oil is widely used in perfumery and cosmetics

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