Herbal teas are one of the easiest and most accessible herbal medicine preparations. If you can boil water, you can surely make herbal teas. And drinking cinnamon tea is a wonderful way to get the amazing nutritive and medicinal health benefits of cinnamon into your life. Here are 5 incredible health benefits of cinnamon tea and how to brew the most perfect cup.
HERE YOU’LL FIND:
The Medicinal Uses of Cinnamon
5 Health Benefits of Drinking Cinnamon Tea
How to Make Cinnamon Tea
Some Cautionary Considerations
More On Cinnamon & Potential Health Risks
Resources for Further Reading
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Cinnamon is one of the most popular spices, used nearly entirely worldwide. It’s a quintessential fall spice that graces our every day in our food and drinks, body care products, and all kinds of scented household goods likes candles and air-fresheners. However ubiquitous cinnamon is, its intoxicating scent and absolutely delicious flavor often overshadow the incredible medicine of this spice and the health benefits to be found in a simple cup of cinnamon tea.
The Medicinal Uses of Cinnamon
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) is a potent plant medicine with a long history of traditional medicinal uses. As a highly aromatic, warming, slightly spicy, and energizing spice, cinnamon is kind of a big deal. It’s also a great source of vitamins and minerals such as calcium and magnesium, as well as fiber.
As a plant medicine, cinnamon is known to have the following actions:
- Antiviral
- Astringent (tightens and tones tissues)
- Anti-fungal
- Carminative (supports healthy digestion)
- Antibacterial
- Anti-parasitic
- Anti-inflammatory
- Gastrointestinal tonic
- Expectorant (helps to remove excess mucus)
- Alterative (supports the body’s natural processes, promotes vitality)
✺ Love cinnamon? Check this out: Meet the Plants | The Health Benefits & Uses of Cinnamon
The Health Benefits of Drinking Cinnamon Tea
The medicine in a simple cup of tea can be life-giving. Whether it’s the ritual act of making tea and sitting in a quite place to center and sip, or drinking for energy (ie. caffeine), or enjoying a cup for immune health when the seasonal ick grabs hold of you, a cup of tea can often provide just the kind of support you need.
Cinnamon tea is absolutely one of the most delicious teas. It’s naturally sweet, ever-so-slightly spicy, and so incredibly comforting that you kind of forget that it’s medicine.
When sipping on a warm cup of cinnamon tea, here’s 5 potential health benefits:
Rich in antioxidants.
Cinnamon is incredibly high in polyphenols, compounds produced by plants that protect them from UV radiation and provide a defense against pathogens. In humans, however, these polyphenols have proven to be great antioxidants. They help protect our cells against oxidative damage and other stressors that the cause inflammation that can lead to a whole novel-sized list of diseases.
May help with menstrual cramps and other PMS symptoms.
Cinnamon tea has been a longtime remedy for menstrual cramps. Several studies have confirmed that drinking cinnamon tea can not only help reduce menstrual cramping, but also can help to reduce the amount of bleeding, nausea, and vomiting that may occur with severe PMS symptoms.
May help to support healthy blood sugar levels.
Some studies suggest that cinnamon can help control blood sugar of people with type 2 diabetes. Cinnamon has demonstrated efficacy in helping mitigate insulin resistance by way of helping to decrease both fasting and post-prandial (after eating) blood glucose.
It’s thought that this effect is due to the ability of cinnamon to slow gastric emptying, as well as its high content of water-soluble polyphenols. Some in vitro studies have shown that polyphenols can have an insulin-like action.
Can help ease digestive ailments.
Cinnamon has been used to help alleviate gastrointestinal problems for a long time. It’s carminative, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties make it a great spice to help support health digestion. In Ayurvedic medicine, cinnamon is often used to help treat gas, bloating, and general digestive imbalance.
May protect brain health!
Studies have shown that drinking cinnamon tea may help to protect the brain against neurological diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Full of antioxidants, cinnamon helps to mitigate oxidative stress in our bodies, which is a major factor in the development and exacerbation of neurodegenerative disease. Cinnamon has been found to help inhibit the production of defective proteins that cause improper signaling in the brain.
You Might Also Enjoy These Recipes with Cinnamon
Snickerdoodles
Cinnamon & Pear Cordial
Savory Cinnamon & Spice Herbal Salt
Cinnamon, Rose, & Pear Upside Down Cake
No-Bake Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust
How To Make Cinnamon Tea
Here’s the equipment, ingredients, and instructions on how to make the perfect cup of cinnamon tea. You’ll find a detailed recipe at the end of this post.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- Tea Kettle or Small Sauce Pan with Lid
- Your Favorite Mug
INGREDIENTS
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Hot Water
- Optional Add-Ins: fresh ginger, turmeric, a few cardamom pods
METHOD
- Add water, cinnamon stick, & any of the optional add-ins to a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low & cover. Allow to simmer on low for 8-10 minutes, then remove from the heat.
- At this point, your tea is ready to enjoy!
- Strain the tea into your favorite mug & if desired, you can add milk of your choice & sweeten with honey.
Other DIY Herbal Teas You’ll Love
- Chamomile Tea
- Rosebud Tea
- Calendula Tea
- 3 Calming Herbal Teas for better sleep
- Anti-Anxiety Tea with lemon balm, oatstraw, rose hips, and lavender
Hey fellow tea lover!
Herbal teas are one of the oldest & most accessible herbal remedies on the planet. And it’s incredibly empowering (& easy!) to blend your own. Check out this step-by-step guide:
How to Blend Your Own Nourishing Herbal Teas
A Cautionary Consideration with Cinnamon Tea
Cinnamon may be absolutely delicious, but when using as medicine and consuming in higher quantities than you would normally in food, there are some important things to consider.
All species of cinnamon contain a plant compound called coumarin that has demonstrated liver toxicity in some cases. In fact, there is a type of beans from South America, called tonka beans, that have literally been banned from the United States solely due to their high content of coumarin, as is the direct addition of coumarin to foods for flavor.
So, does that mean eating cinnamon can damage our liver?!
A 2016 Japanese study investigated the liver toxicity of coumarin in patients prescribed common traditional Japanese medicines containing cinnamon bark. And while coumarin intake exceeded the established safe limit, there were no cases of abnormal liver function.
However, because cinnamon contains coumarin and other coumarin-containing foods have demonstration liver toxicity, I think these are important things to consider.
On Cinnamon & Potential Health Risks
- Consumption of cinnamon in normal amounts in foods (ie. desserts, pastries, breakfast cereals, etc.) is unlikely to be toxic to the liver.
- Excessive consumption (ie. eating several tablespoons or more of cinnamon every day) may cause liver problems.
- If you have pre-existing liver disease, gastroparesis (delayed gastric emptying), or other concerns, you may be more mindful of excessive cinnamon consumption. (Cinnamon’s insulin-like effect is partially due to its ability to slow down gastric emptying and thus can exacerbate gastroparesis.)
- You can significantly limit coumarin consumption by making sure you use Ceylon cinnamon (C. verum), also known as true cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon contains much less coumarin than Cassia cinnamon and may be considered a safer alternative. (Ceylon cinnamon will always be labeled as such. If you can’t find it at your local grocery, you can find it at many online herbs shops like Mountain Rose Herbs.)
With that said, I think it’s important to reiterate that under normal, everyday consumption, cinnamon generally does not post a health threat to people, especially those with normal functioning livers.
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Cinnamon Tea Recipe
Course: Drink, RemedyCuisine: Herbal TeaDifficulty: Easy1
servings10
minutesTry this naturally sweet and incredibly warming herbal tea that comes with many nutritive and medicinal benefits. Cinnamon is naturally sweet, but you can always sweeten with honey if desired.
Ingredients
1 Cinnamon Stick
8-10 fl. oz. Hot Water
Optional Add-Ins: fresh ginger, turmeric, a few cardamom pods
Directions
- Add water, cinnamon stick, & any of the optional add-ins to a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low & cover. Allow to simmer on low for 8-10 minutes, then remove from the heat.
- At this point, your tea is ready to enjoy! Strain the tea into your favorite mug & if desired, you can add milk of your choice & sweeten with honey.
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DISCLAIMER: The information given in this article is intended for educational purposes only. Always consult with your healthcare practitioner before consuming certain herbs & medicinal foods, especially if pregnant, nursing, or taking any prescription medications.
Resources for Further Reading
- Bernardo, ME et al. (2015) Effect of cinnamon tea on postprandial glucose concentration. Journal of Diabetes Research, 2015:913651. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/913651
- Pandey KB and Rizvi SI. (2009) Plant polyphenols as dietary antioxidants in human health and disease. Oxid Med Cell Longev, 2(5):270-278. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2835915/
- Jaafarpour M et al. (2015) The effect of cinnamon on menstrual bleeding and systemic symptoms with primary dysmenorrhea. Iran Red Crescent Med Journal, 17(4):e27032. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4443385/
