Cinnamon, a spice whose culinary and medicinal use in China dates back to 2800 B.C., is made from the bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Cinnamon oil may offer some powerful health benefits, as revealed by recent scientific research reports. However, you should always consult with your doctor before using cinnamon oil.
Antibacterial
Cinnamon oil performed well in a group of essential oils tested for anti-bacterial properties in a study published in the March 2011 issue of the "Journal of Medicinal Foods." Researchers tested samples of commercially available essential oils of mint, rosemary, orange, sage, cinnamon, bay, clove and cumin against the food-borne bacteria A. butzleri in cooked hamburger. The strongest anti-bacterial activity was observed from rosemary, bay, cinnamon and clove oils, while cumin, mint and sage were ineffective. The researchers recommended these oils for potential use in the prevention of food-borne illnesses.
Antibacterial and Anticancer
Ceylon cinnamon, or Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume, possesses strong antimicrobial and anticancer properties, according to a study published in the November 2010 issue of the journal "Food and Chemical Toxicology." In the study, researchers identified nine active constituents in the essential oil extract from the bark of the tree. The cinnamon extract effectively inhibited 21 bacteria species and four Candida fungus species. Cinnamon oil also showed direct toxic effects and induced apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in tissue cultures of cancer cells. The researchers concluded that their results support the potential use of cinnamon oil for the prevention and treatment of some infections and some forms of cancer.
Anti-Inflammatory
A Taiwanese tree, Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kaneh produces an essential oil with similar properties to Cinnamomum cassia Presl., or Chinese cinnamon, which is used for culinary and medicinal purposes in Chinese traditional medicine. In the study, researchers identified anti-inflammatory effects of leaf extracts of Taiwanese cinnamon. The essential oils strongly inhibited nitric oxide, which in high quantities can trigger inflammation. The cinnamon extract also inhibited lipid oxidation and inhibited the immune system activity that is associated with atherogenic plaque formation. The researchers concluded that significant anti-inflammatory properties were present, and that there was good commercial potential for the use of this form of cinnamon as a natural health product.
Acne
Cinnamon essential oil may prove to be an effective acne remedy and cancer preventive, according to researchers of a study published in the April 2010 issue of the journal "Molecules." Among 10 essential oils tested, thyme, cinnamon and rose showed the best antibacterial activities towards P. acnes, an acne-causing bacteria species. At 5 percent concentrations, P. acnes were completely killed within five minutes. Cinnamon oil toxicity to human prostate cancer cells was significantly stronger than against breast or lung a cancer, according to the study.
References
- "Journal of Medicinal Food"; Inhibitory Effects of Some Plant Essential Oils Against Arcobacter Butzleri and Potential for Rosemary Oil as a Natural Food Preservative; Irkin R, et al.; March 2011
- "Food and Chemical Toxicology"; Composition, Antimicrobial Activity and In Vitro Cytotoxicity of Essential Oil from Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Blume (Lauraceae); Unlu M, et al.; November 2010
- "Pharmaceutical Biology"; Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Essential Oils and Their Constituents from Fifferent Provenances of Indigenous Cinnamon (Cinnamomum Osmophloeum) Leaves; Y.T. Tung, et al.; October 2010
- "Molecules"; Activities of Ten Essential Oils Towards Propionibacterium Acnes and PC-3, A-549 and MCF-7 Cancer Cells; Y. Zu, et al.; April 2010
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