Important: This is not medical advice
This page is for general information only. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose, treat or cure anything. Herbs are complementary support, not replacements for prescribed medicine.
- Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using any herb, tea or supplement, especially if you take medicine, are pregnant or nursing, have a health condition, or are planning surgery.
- Do not stop or change any prescribed medicine on your own.
- Get emergency care right away (call 911) for serious symptoms such as chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of a stroke, severe allergic reaction, heavy bleeding, confusion, or thoughts of harming yourself.
← Natural Healing: Herbs & Home Remedies (all 15 herbs)
Cinnamon
Cinnamomum verum (Ceylon) and Cinnamomum cassia
- Traditional use
- A warming bark used as a spice and in traditional medicine for digestion and, in modern times, blood sugar.
- How people take it
- Ground spice in food and drinks, tea from sticks, or capsules.
- What the evidence shows
- NIH NCCIH says studies on cinnamon for blood sugar control in diabetes have had mixed or inconclusive results, and it should not take the place of diabetes treatment.
- Cautions and interactions
- Common cassia cinnamon contains coumarin, which can harm the liver in large amounts, and Ceylon cinnamon has much less. Cinnamon may add to the effect of diabetes medicines and may be a concern with liver-affecting drugs or blood thinners. Keep supplements to what your doctor or pharmacist approves.
More herbs
Where to read more
The information here was written for this site as a plain-language overview. For current, detailed and regularly reviewed information, check the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Mayo Clinic, which both have herb and supplement fact sheets. Your pharmacist can also check your medicines for interactions. Research changes over time, so these sources are always the better place to confirm the latest guidance.
Important: This is not medical advice
This page is for general information only. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose, treat or cure anything. Herbs are complementary support, not replacements for prescribed medicine.
- Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using any herb, tea or supplement, especially if you take medicine, are pregnant or nursing, have a health condition, or are planning surgery.
- Do not stop or change any prescribed medicine on your own.
- Get emergency care right away (call 911) for serious symptoms such as chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of a stroke, severe allergic reaction, heavy bleeding, confusion, or thoughts of harming yourself.
