Cinnamon for Mood, Metabolism & Women’s Health

Cinnamon: The Healer Hiding in Your Kitchen 

Cinnamon may conjure churros, holiday candles or French toast during those long-ago endless brunch Sundays. But fact: cinnamon is powerful. It can help boost mood, metabolism and lead to long-term health. Reap all those wonders—delicious kick included—in our  Stave the Crave stress relief chai.

Why We Love Cinnamon

• Accessibility! Unlike exotic ingredients that can challenge our palates, cinnamon gives us the warm fuzzies of fresh cookies. Pull from the pantry to add to oats, yogurts, fruit bakes, etc., and better health is (maybe literally) within reach. 
• Cinnamon is almost as popular with medical researchers as it is with bakers. This means that there are great clinical trials showing cinnamon’s medicinal effectiveness. 

Key Benefits: 

Mood & Natural Stress Relief - Yes, cinnamon is an adaptogen, which means that it balances stress hormones for a balance of energy and calm. Perfect for women’s stress supplements, right? Scientists have identified an active compound called cinnamaldehyde that they believe is a big part of how cinnamon reduces stress. There is also promising research that cinnamon oil may be able to decrease occasional symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Boosts Metabolism - We included cinnamon in our Stave the Crave stress relief chai because it can help increase blood flow, which in turn may help speed up metabolism. Cinnamon also helps you metabolize sugar by increasing insulin sensitivity and slowing down the enzymes that break complex carbohydrates into simple sugars. In proper doses, both effects are shown to lower blood sugar, which is good for hormonal balance and overall health. 

Supports Heart Health - Cinnamon is a heart health warrior. Women’s heart health is especially important because changing perimenopause hormones can lead to greater risk of heart disease, which is the leading killer of American women. Scores of high-quality studies have connected cinnamon supplements with lower cholesterol levels, healthier arteries and improved blood pressure. There’s also mounting research connecting cinnamon consumption with lowered risk for type 2 diabetes. 

Neuroprotective - Cinnamon is full of antioxidants that are shown to protect your brain against cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Animal studies have found that cinnamon decreases the buildup of a plaque-like substance called tau. Tau is connected with damage to nerve cells, so cinnamon’s ability to decrease it is great news! Evidence even indicates that cinnamon can improve cognition. There’s more research coming out here, so keep an eye out for updates!

Improves PMS Symptoms - When it comes to periods after 40, it can feel like anything goes. If cramps or abnormally heavy flow are getting in your way, cinnamon can help! In randomized, double-blind trials, women who took cinnamon reported decreased nausea and less period pain than the placebo group. On average, the cinnamon group also experienced a lighter flow. 

Traditional Uses:

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, cinnamon is used to treat:

• Colds
• Digestive disorders
• Heart disease
• Gynecological disorders

Ancient Romans and Egyptians also used cinnamon to help with digestion and respiratory illnesses.

Cinnamon’s traditional popularity reached all the way beyond the grave. Its antioxidant powers have been recognized as a natural preservative since at least the time of the Egyptian empire, when it was used in the mummification process. Ancient Romans also used cinnamon as a perfume for burials. 

About the Plant: 

Cinnamon is the red inner bark of the cinnamon tree. The trees themselves have clusters of oval leaves and little white flowers that develop into small black berries.

Ceylon cinnamon trees, whose bark is the highest quality of cinnamon, are native to Sri Lanka and the southern coast of India. Other cinnamon varieties are native to Indonesia, Vietnam and China. 

The search for cinnamon and other spices prompted much of European colonization.

Found In (Wile Products): 

• Stave the Crave stress relief chai

Things to Know about Cinnamon:

Here’s a place where life teaches us balance — there is such a thing as too much cinnamon. Most culinary cinnamon is a variety called Cassia cinnamon, which has a strong flavor and high levels of a compound called coumarin. Too much coumarin can be harmful, and can cause:

• Stomach ache
• Low blood pressure
• Liver damage
• Blood thinning
• Difficulty breathing (especially if you let a spoonful of cinnamon coat your throat! Don’t try to swallow it dry!)

1 teaspoon of Cassia cinnamon has enough coumarin to make most adults feel unwell. 

If you’re a huge cinnamon fan, we have good news. Ceylon cinnamon only has trace amounts of coumarin. You can safely consume much more Ceylon cinnamon, which has a pleasantly mild flavor and a lighter brown color than Cassia cinnamon. 

It’s also important to keep in mind that cinnamon can interact with medications like blood thinners or others that reduce blood pressure or sugar or break down in your liver. If you take any of these, talk to your doctor before starting a supplement with cinnamon.

Clinical Research:

• Camacho, Susana, Stéphanie Michlig, Carole De Senarclens-Bezençon, Jenny Meylan, Julie Meystre, Maurizio Pezzoli, Henry Markram, and Johannes Le Coutre. “Anti-Obesity and Anti-Hyperglycemic Effects of Cinnamaldehyde via Altered Ghrelin Secretion and Functional Impact on Food Intake and Gastric Emptying.” Scientific Reports 5, no. 1 (January 21, 2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep07919.
• Hadi, Amir, Marilyn Campbell, Cyrus Jalili, Makan Pourmasoumi, Ammar Salehi-Sahlabadi, and Seyed Ali Hosseini. “The Effect of Cinnamon Supplementation on Blood Pressure in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Clinical Nutrition ESPEN 36 (January 20, 2020): 10–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.01.002.
• Hajimonfarednejad, Mahdie, Majid Nimrouzi, Mojtaba Heydari, Mohammad M. Zarshenas, Mohammad Javad Raee, and Bahia Namavar Jahromi. “Insulin Resistance Improvement by Cinnamon Powder in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial.” Phytotherapy Research 32, no. 2 (February 1, 2018): 276–83. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.5970.
• Hamidpour, Rafie, Mohsen Hamidpour, Soheila Hamidpour, and Mina Shahlari. “Cinnamon from the Selection of Traditional Applications to Its Novel Effects on the Inhibition of Angiogenesis in Cancer Cells and Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, and a Series of Functions Such as Antioxidant, Anticholesterol, Antidiabetes, Antibacterial, Antifungal, Nematicidal, Acaracidal, and Repellent Activities.” Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine 5, no. 2 (April 1, 2015): 66–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2014.11.008.
• Jaafarpour, Molouk, Masoud Hatefi, Fatemeh Najafi, Javaher Khajavikhan, and Ali Khani. “The Effect of Cinnamon on Menstrual Bleeding and Systemic Symptoms With Primary Dysmenorrhea.” Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal 17, no. 4 (April 22, 2015). https://doi.org/10.5812/ircmj.17(4)2015.27032.
• Jahangirifar, Maryam, Mahboubeh Taebi, and Mahrokh Dolatian. “The Effect of Cinnamon on Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial.” Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 33 (August 15, 2018): 56–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2018.08.001.
• Kawatra, Pallavi, and Rathai Rajagopalan. “Cinnamon: Mystic Powers of a Minute Ingredient.” Pharmacognosy Research 7, no. 5 (June 1, 2015): 1. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-8490.157990.
• Khasnavis, Saurabh, and Kalipada Pahan. “Cinnamon Treatment Upregulates Neuroprotective Proteins Parkin and DJ-1 and Protects Dopaminergic Neurons in a Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease.” Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology : The Official Journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology 9, no. 4 (September 2014): 569–81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11481-014-9552-2.
• Kowalska, Jolanta, Józef Tyburski, Kinga Matysiak, Magdalena Jakubowska, Joanna Łukaszyk, and Joanna Krzymińska. “Cinnamon as a Useful Preventive Substance for the Care of Human and Plant Health.” Molecules 26, no. 17 (August 31, 2021): 5299. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26175299.
• Kutbi, Emad, Mohammad Hassan Sohouli, Somaye Fatahi, Abolfazl Lari, Farzad Shidfar, Maha Mari Aljhdali, Fai Alhoshan, Saad Saif Elahi, Hashem Ameen Almusa, and Ahmed Abu-Zaid. “The Beneficial Effects of Cinnamon among Patients with Metabolic Diseases: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Randomized-Controlled Trials.” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 62, no. 22 (March 19, 2021): 6113–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2021.1896473.
• Mousavi, Seyed Hadi, Elmira Karimi, Maryam Hajishafiee, Alireza Milajerdi, Mohammad Amini, and Ahmad Esmaillzadeh. “Anti-Hypertensive Effects of Cinnamon Supplementation in Adults: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 60, no. 18 (January 1, 2020): 3144–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2019.1678012.
• Pizzino, Gabriele, Natasha Irrera, Mariapaola Cucinotta, Giovanni Pallio, Federica Mannino, Vincenzo Arcoraci, Francesco Squadrito, Domenica Altavilla, and Alessandra Bitto. “Oxidative Stress: Harms and Benefits for Human Health.” Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity 2017 (July 27, 2017): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/8416763.
• Sohrabi, Reyhaneh, Nasim Pazgoohan, Hasan Rezaei Seresht, and Bahareh Amin. “Repeated Systemic Administration of the Cinnamon Essential Oil Possesses Anti-Anxiety and Anti-Depressant Activities in Mice.” Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences 20, no. 6 (June 1, 2017): 708–14. https://doi.org/10.22038/ijbms.2017.8841.
• Zare, Roghayeh, Dong-Soo Kwon, Mohammad M. Zarshenas, Mesbah Shams, and Mojtaba Heydari. “Efficacy of Cinnamon in Patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.” Clinical Nutrition 38, no. 2 (April 1, 2019): 549–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2018.03.003.
• Zhu, Changyou, Hongmei Yan, Yin Zheng, Heitor O. Santos, Melahat Sedanur Macit, and Ketong Zhao. “Impact of Cinnamon Supplementation on Cardiometabolic Biomarkers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Complementary Therapies in Medicine 53 (September 1, 2020): 102517. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102517.
• Zuo, Jiacheng, Dandan Zhao, Na Yu, Xin Fang, Qianqian Mu, Yue Ma, Fangfang Mo, et al. “Cinnamaldehyde Ameliorates Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice by Inducing Browning of White Adipose Tissue.” Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry 42, no. 4 (January 1, 2017): 1514–25. https://doi.org/10.1159/000479268.

Sources:

• Advanced Neurotherapy. “11 Health Benefits of Cinnamon,” December 9, 2016. https://www.advancedneurotherapy.com/blog/2016/12/09/cinnamon-health-benefits.
• Geiger, Faith. “Having This Spice Every Day Could Improve Memory And Mood, According to Doctors.” SheFinds, February 6, 2023. https://www.shefinds.com/collections/cinnamon-improve-memory-mood/.
• Leech, Joe. “10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Cinnamon.” Healthline, October 13, 2022. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-cinnamon.
• Leonard, Jayne. “Blood-Thinning Foods, Drinks, and Supplements,” January 9, 2023. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322384#cassia-cinnamon.
• Lewing, Jo. “Top 12 Health Benefits of Cinnamon,” March 16, 2023. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/health-benefits-cinnamon.
• Raman, Ryan. “6 Side Effects of Too Much Cinnamon.” Healthline, February 7, 2023. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/side-effects-of-cinnamon.
• Tello, Carlos. “7 Health Benefits of Cinnamon.” SelfDecode Supplements, September 9, 2021. https://supplements.selfdecode.com/blog/top-15-proven-scientific-reasons-spice-life-cinnamon-references/.