We are approaching the end of September, where has the time gone? This weekend I celebrated the autumn equinox and/or Mabon the Pagan celebration of the last harvest. However this time of year may be more ubiquitously know as the official start of pumpkin spice season. Pumpkin spice seems to be one of those things you either like it, or you don't. I wonder if some dislike is due to the over abundance of products that hit shelves this time of year using the famous spice blend, pumpkin spice hummus anyone? This blend though is much more than an over used seasonal spice. The individual spices that make up this blend have their own unique histories and stories to tell as well as amazing healing properties. This month we will get to know cinnamon.
When you think of cinnamon what is the first thing that comes to mind? For me it's cinnamon rolls, hot from the oven with icing dripping down the sides. Cinnamon is quite the interesting spice considering what most people consider cinnamon in the U.S. is actually it's cousin Cassia, but we'll discuss that later. Let's dive into Cinnamon's colorful history and find out why it was associated with bird nest's.
Cinnamon's history of use goes back thousands of years with many of our worlds most notable empires including ancient China, Egypt and the Roman empire making use of it. As with many of the spices it has been in the middle of many battles between countries to dominate the spice trade.
History
One of the most cited references to cinnamon in history is the reference of a holy anointing oil in the bible. In the 21st century King James edition Exodus 30:23 states:
22 "Moreover the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
23 "Take thou also unto thee principal spices: of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half as much (even two hundred and fifty shekels), and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,
24 and of cassia five hundred shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin."
There was a time when cinnamon was considered more valuable than gold. Pliny the Elder in the first century c.e. valued a Roman pound (12.3 oz) of cinnamon worth a thousand Denari which was equal to 11.02 pounds of silver. Cinnamon was worth 15 times that of silver. As an in demand spice, wild stories were told about its origins and the severe danger in collecting it. Herodotus a Greek historian & geographer described cinnamon as being gathered by large birds and putting the quills (cinnamon sticks) in their nests. The nests were high up on steep cliffs much to dangerous to climb. Men would leave large cut up pieces of meat at the bottom of these nests and hide in wait. The birds would come down and carry the meat up to their nests which were to heavy for the nests to hold and they would collapse allowing the men to gather the fallen cinnamon sticks.
True cinnamon was not the only one that was dangerous to gather. Herodotus also described the harrowing collection of cassia C. aromaticum, C. cassia the cousin to true cinnamon. It was said cassia resided in shallow lakes guarded by winged creatures that resembled bats. These creatures would defend their cassia courageously. Men would cover their entire bodies except their eyes with leather in order to protect themselves from these beasts. These tales justified the high prices the merchants charged due to the extreme danger and risking life and limb to collect.
Theophrastus who lived in 323 b.c.e. and considered the father of botany didn't believe any of the stories and believed cassia and cinnamon came from bushes in Arabia. However even that association had a fantastic tale as well. That these bushes grew in ravines full of deadly snakes, after collection the sticks were divided into three piles. The gatherers chose two piles by drawing lots and the third was left as an offer to the sun god who would protect them on subsequent visits from the snakes.
In 1505 the Portuguese discovered Ceylon and claimed the coasts, from 1580 onward they demanded an annual tribute from the Singhalese of 125 tons of cinnamon. A Singhalese king, king Kandy (yes that was his real name) appealed to the Dutch for help. However that would prove to be a horrible move. Between 1632 and 1658 the Dutch pushed the Portuguese out. The Dutch proved to be much harsher rulers. Every person over the age of 12 was required to deliver 668 pounds of cinnamon per harvest season which was up from the 61.7 pounds the Portuguese required. As if that wasn't enough, any landowner discovered to have a cinnamon tree on his property that was not immediately reported to the Dutch faced execution as well as anyone trying to smuggle or buy the fragrant bark. For the next 300 years different countries including France and England fought over Ceylon attempting to dominate the cinnamon trade.
France conquered Holland during the Revolutionary wars and as a spoil of war obtained Ceylon. England, France's enemy saw its window of opportunity during this and seized Ceylon in 1795. By the mid 1800's the Dutch got revenge by smuggling cinnamon plants out of Ceylon to plant them in Java, Sumatra, and Borneo. The French also discovered that is grew quite nicely in Reunion and Guiana. The English no longer held the monopoly on the trade and in order to uphold profits implemented a 200% tax for several decades on all Ceylon cinnamon. The colonization of Ceylon poured more cinnamon than ever into Europe which finally made it affordable for even common people to use.
Health Benefits
With so many countries fighting over Ceylon and it's cinnamon it would make you think it was a panacea. Aside from it's amazing flavor it is a very potent medicine. Although I wouldn't call this particular use medicinal, ancient Egyptians used cinnamon in the embalming process no doubt due to its antibacterial properties. It's antibacterial properties do have some amazing healing potential for those suffering from Heliobacter pylori (stomach ulcers). Researchers in Italy found that it is more effective than amoxicillin at eradicating the bacteria responsible for the majority of stomach ulcers. Which is good news since H. pylori is becoming more resistant to the antibiotic. There was a fun study done to show its potential for preserving food and prevent food poisoning. Two pots of vegetable broth were left in a refrigerator for two months, one had cinnamon oil in it, the other did not. After two months the one without cinnamon oil was teaming with microbes while the cinnamon oil containing broth was good enough to eat with the scientists claiming the cinnamon oil improved the flavor. Another study done by microbiologists at Kansas State University found that when 1 teaspoon of cinnamon was added to batches of contaminated apple juice which contained 100 times the typical amount of bugs seen in contaminated food, it killed 99.5% of the bacteria in 3 days.
One of the most talked about healing benefits of cinnamon is its ability to help stabilize blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetics. I have seen some claim these benefits only pertain to true cinnamon and not cassia while others claim both have beneficial effects. Besides assisting in glucose stabilization it also helps other factors that diabetics or pre-diabetics often struggle with such as elevated cholesterol. In a study of 30 type 2 diabetics who took 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon a day, after 40 days not only did they see a 29% decrease in fasting blood sugar there was also a 27% decrease in LDL cholesterol which is considered the "bad" artery clogging kind, 26% in total cholesterol and 30% drop in triglycerides.
Cinnamon is useful in helping inflammation and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis due to its warming nature and gently stimulating circulation to the joints. The inflammation modulating activity also correlates with blood sugar management and hypertension since both are linked to chronic inflammation. The classic cinnamon containing Chinese ointment Tiger Balm is a favorite for muscle soreness and soothing the pain. Its warming capabilities also assist in the improvement of circulation and warming chronically cold hands and feet.
The warming and antibacterial properties can also assist respiratory issues associated with the common cold and flu. It clears mucous and stimulates respiratory circulation, it also acts as an expectorant. For chest congestion Vishnu Dass author of "Ayurvedic Herbology East & West" recommends a combination of cinnamon, ginger, and licorice, which can be made into a tea and sweetened with a little raw honey. This combination is also helpful for sore throats.
It is one of the most common spices used for dental care. It's circulation stimulating property brings blood to the gums promoting their health and regeneration. According to Pierre Franchomme and Daniel Penoel who are the founders of modern medical aromatherapy, believe cinnamon essential oil is effective against 98% of pathogenic bacteria. The essential oil is very strong and should always be diluted. Due to it's high antimicrobial and analgesic properties not to mention it's delicious taste, it's a natural to add into your dental care routine.
The last common usage for the spice is for the digestive system. Just like many of it's other uses, the warming effect the spice has is beneficial for sluggish or slow digestion. In Ayurveda (East Indian medical system) it is said to increase agni (digestive fire) which promotes digestion and absorption of nutrients in food and herbs. It is also known to decrease the heavy qualities of foods such as rice, potatoes, and dairy which makes me think it would be very beneficial for those who have trouble digesting dairy. Sebastian Pole author of "Ayurvedic Medicine The Principles of Traditional Practice" suggests a combination of ginger, cardamom and cinnamon for digestive sluggishness or the formula known as trijata which is a combination of cardamom, Indian bay leaf (or cloves), and cinnamon which is useful for not only digestion but respiratory problems as well.
In the Marketplace
As previously mentioned, most of the cinnamon that is used in the United States is actually not cinnamon but it's cousin cassia. Both cinnamon and cassia are in the same genus of plants they are however different species. They also differ in taste. True cinnamon is Cinnamomum verum or Cinnamomum zeylanticum. It has a sweet more subdued flavor due to it's low percentage of volatile oils coming in at only 1-2%. It will be best used in foods that are not strongly flavored so it does not overpower the cinnamon.
There are 3 cassia species used. Cassia is known for having a much more pungent and strong flavor. The first is Saigon or Vietnamese cassia Cinnamomum loureiroi, it has the highest percentage of volatile oils at around 6-7%. This high oil content gives it the strongest, most pronounced flavor of all the cassia's. So if you want a noticeable cinnamon flavor such as for cinnamon rolls this is the one to use.
Next is Korintje cassia aka Indonesian cinnamon Cinnamomum burmannii which comes in at around 3%. It is said to have a sharp, strong flavor with a slight bitter edge. It is less expensive than other types so is often used in commercial food production.
The third is Chinese cassia Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum aromaticum. This is the most common cassia used. With an oil content of roughly 3-4% is strong and rich but not quite as much as Vietnamese. Used widely in baking and a good choice for most uses.
Summary
Cinnamon has a unique and storied past but it has proven the test of time in our food and our medicine. It definitely deserves a more prominent role in our lives to not only liven up our meals, but more so to help keep us healthy. There are many ways to incorporate more cinnamon into your life such as adding it to your daily cup of joe, liberally sprinkling it on oatmeal, or mixing up your own traditional Chai tea with or without the black tea. It is one of the ingredients in the famous Indian spice blend Garam Masala, as well as an ingredient in the popular winter mulling spices (Christmas will be here before we know it). If I were to recommend one book to help incorporate more spices into your life it would be "Healing Spices" by Bharat B. Aggarwah, PhD. It not only has amazing concise info on a variety of spices it also includes simple recipes. There is also the book "Recipes for Natural Living Healing Spices Handbook" by Barbara Brownell Grogan which has a lot of recipes as well as "101 Amazing Uses of Cinnamon" by Nancy Chen, there were ideas in there I had never even thought of for cinnamon. Check your local library as they may have these books.
References:
"Healing Spices" by Bharat B. Aggarwah, PhD
"On Spice" by Caitlin Penzey Moog
"The Lore of Spices" by J.O. Swahn
"Ayurvedic Herbology East & West" by Vishnu Dass
"Ayurvedic Medicine The Principles of Traditional Practice" by Sebastian Pole
"101 Amazing Uses for Cinnamon" by Nancy Chen
" CRC Handbook of Medicinal Spices" by James A. Duke
"The Book of Spice" by John O'Connell
"The Way of Ayurvedic Herbs" Michael Tierra & Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa
"Holistic Dental Care" by Nadine Artemis
https://www.biblegateway.com/
Disclaimer: This site or the information presented has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. All information presented if for reference and educational purposes only. It is not provided to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. A medical professional should be consulted for any medical issue. Ancient Wisdom Living will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information presented.
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