Learn details of cinnamon bark oil effects and uses

Cinnamon bark oil (Cinnamomum verum) is derived from the plant of the species name Laurus cinnamomum and belongs to the Lauraceae botanical family. Native to parts of South Asia, today cinnamon plants are grown across different nations throughout Asia and shipped around the world in the form of cinnamon essential oil or cinnamon spice. 

In aromatherapy, cinnamon essential oil is majorly used for its pleasant fragrance. It has a uniquely sweet and warm aroma. Cinnamon essential oil benefits health in numerous ways. It is extracted from the leaves and the bark of the cinnamon tree.

While the oil is primarily known to benefit hair, its uses for skin and health are also getting popular. For instance, in a study, cinnamon oil had shown anti-cancer activity against the cancerous cells of the neck and head. In an organ model, it also reduced the growth of the tumor.

There are two primary types of cinnamon oils available on the market: cinnamon bark oil and cinnamon leaf oil. While they have some similarities, they’re different products with somewhat separate uses. Cinnamon bark oil is extracted from the outer bark of the cinnamon tree. It’s considered very potent and has a strong, “perfume-like” smell, almost like taking an intense whiff of ground cinnamon. Cinnamon bark oil is usually more expensive than cinnamon leaf oil.

Cinnamon leaf oil has a “musky and spicy” smell and tends to have a lighter color. While cinnamon leaf oil might appear yellow and murky, cinnamon bark oil has a deeper red-brown color that most people usually associate with cinnamon spice. Both are beneficial, but cinnamon bark oil may be more potent.

Cinnamon bark oil health benefits

1. May Promote Heart Health

Cinnamon oil may help reduce cholesterol levels and combat oxidative stress.

It reduced the cholesterol levels in broiler chickens. In another study, cinnamon oil was found to exhibit superoxide dismutase-like activity (an enzyme that helps the body combat oxidative stress).

2. Natural Aphrodisiac

In Ayurvedic medicine, cinnamon is sometimes recommended for sexual dysfunction. Is there any validity to that recommendation? Animal research published in 2013 points towards cinnamon oil as a possible natural remedy for impotence. For the animal study subjects with age-induced sexual dysfunction, Cinnamomum cassia extract was shown to improve sexual function by effectively boosting both sexual motivation and erectile function.

3. May Treat Ulcers

The oil may help fight the bacteria that cause ulcers.

Cinnamon bark essential oil was found to be the most potent (among other oils) against Helicobacter pylori. H. pylori is the major cause of gastric ulcers and gastric cancer Cinnamon oil has also been reported to be effective against various molds and yeasts. It may also have a beneficial effect against Candida (which could be resistant to fluconazole, an antifungal medication).

4.May Help with Weight Loss

Cinnamon is gaining a reputation for being a fat-burning food and valuable tool for weight loss. With its ability to balance blood sugar levels and sweeten the taste of foods without any added sugar, it’s very helpful for curbing a sweet tooth.

A study published in the journal Metabolism demonstrates how cinnamaldehyde, a chemical compound found in cinnamon oil, may potentially help fat cells to burn energy. The study specifically shows how cinnamaldehyde activates thermogenic and metabolic responses in both animal and human fat cells, which can be beneficial to weight loss and obesity prevention.

Unstable blood sugar can lead to overeating, low energy and weight gain, but adding cinnamon oil to fruit, tea, oats, baked goods or smoothies helps slow the rate at which glucose is released into the blood.

5. Fights Parasites

Studies have found that cinnamon oil inhibits growth of certain harmful parasites, making it an excellent parasite treatment. One study published in 2014 in the Iranian Journal of Parasitology evaluated the effects of cinnamon and ginger on giardiasis, an intestinal infection caused by a giardia (G. lamblia) parasite. The study reveals the effectiveness of both ginger and cinnamon extracts as “promising natural therapeutic agents against G. lamblia.”

In vitro research also points towards cinnamon’s  inhibitory effect on Plasmodium falciparum, which is a parasite that causes malaria humans. Researchers have found that cinnamon can help fight parasites by disturbing their amino acid biosynthesis, which is essential to their survival.

How to use cinnamon leaf oil?

You can use the oil topically, orally, and in aromatherapy.

1. Topically – Dilute it with a carrier oil (like coconut oil) in a 1:1 ratio and apply it to your skin.

2. Orally – Add a drop of water to the oil and ingest it. You can also take it as a dietary supplement by consuming it along with a smoothie.

3. In aromatherapy – Inhale it or diffuse it around your house using a diffuser.

Cinnamon essential oil is generally recognized as safe by the US Food & Drug Administration.

You may prepare cinnamon essential oil at home. The method is inexpensive. You may have to wait for a few weeks, though, before you can use the essential oil.