What Is Cinnamon Tea Good for, and Is It Ok to Drink Every Day?

Cinnamon tea is rich in compounds that might help control blood sugar and inflammation. It’s likely okay to drink a cup every day, but switch to Ceylon cinnamon if you have liver disease or a risk of bleeding.

Cinnamon tea is rich in compounds that might help control blood sugar and inflammation. You can probably drink it every day, but you’ll want to stick to Ceylon cinnamon if you have certain health conditions.

Cinnamon is a common baking spice that comes from the cinnamon tree. There are over 250 different species of cinnamon, but the most common types are:

• Cinnamomum zeylanicum, known as Ceylon cinnamon, Mexican cinnamon, or true cinnamon
• C. cassia, known as Cassia cinnamon
• C. burmanni, or Indonesian cinnamon
• C. loureiroi, or Vietnamese cinnamon

Almost every part of the tree is useful, including the fruit, leaf, bark, and root, but most cinnamon spice comes from the bark. You can also find cinnamon bark, leaf, and root essential oils. Most people use Ceylon or Cassia cinnamon, though Ceylon is usually more expensive.

Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon have some chemical and flavor differences. Where Ceylon is light brown and has a warm, sweet flavor and aroma, Cassia is a darker brown and tastes rich, spicy, and slightly bitter.

It’s tough to tell the ground spices apart, but the differences are more obvious in stick form. Cassia cinnamon is one thick layer of rolled-up cinnamon bark, while Ceylon cinnamon is several layers of bark rolled together.

People sprinkle ground cinnamon spice into coffee or other hot drinks as a flavoring, but you can also add part of a cinnamon stick to hot water for a delicious tea. In traditional cultures, cinnamon is used as a remedy for digestive issues, coughs, colds, and respiratory problems.

Benefits of cinnamon

Cinnamon is rich in compounds and essential oils that might have some health benefits.

Antibacterial

Cinnamon contains an essential oil rich in cinnamaldehyde and eugenol compounds. Studies show that adding cinnamon to food can extend the shelf life and stop the growth of bacteria that cause food poisoning. Cinnamon also blocks the growth of other organisms like fungi, yeast, and staph bacteria.

Cinnamon essential oil is often used in toothpaste and mouthwash to help control bacteria and other germs. Steeping cinnamon bark in hot water naturally extracts some of the essential oil, so your tea could promote a healthy bacteria balance in your mouth, in theory. The tea would likely have a much weaker effect, though.

Might lower blood sugar

Studies show that cinnamon can help lower blood sugar levels. Researchers tested patients with oral glucose tests and cinnamon tea. They found that the group consuming cinnamon tea had slightly lower blood glucose levels. However, more research is needed.

Research on cinnamon is mixed, and the type of cinnamon used in studies is often not specified. A review of studies on cinnamon supplements found that they can lower glucose levels but do not impact long-term glucose markers. The quality of these studies is also unclear.

Might lower inflammation

Cinnamon might help lower inflammation. In mice, cinnamon water extract lowered chemicals that cause inflammation. Researchers believe these actions come from natural plant compounds called polyphenols found in cinnamon.

Might improve insulin sensitivity

Cinnamon might help improve insulin sensitivity. In studies on animals with diabetes, cinnamon increased insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake. Researchers believe the active compound is cinnamaldehyde. However, more research is needed.

Risks of cinnamon tea

Cinnamon spice is safe to eat in normal doses, but high doses or certain types can cause digestive upset. It can also delay stomach emptying and worsen symptoms of gastroparesis. Allergic reactions are possible, and cinnamon tea made from Cassia cinnamon can lead to liver problems and an increased risk of bleeding.

Bottom line: drink Ceylon cinnamon

Modern research suggests that drinking cinnamon tea might have some health benefits, but more studies are necessary. It’s likely okay to drink a cup every day, but switch to Ceylon cinnamon if you have liver disease or a risk of bleeding. If you’re considering taking cinnamon supplements, talk to your doctor first.

QUESTION

Sources:

BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies: "Anti-inflammatory activity of cinnamon water extract in vivo and in vitro LPS-induced models," "Medicinal properties of ‘true’ cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum): a systematic review."

Canadian Society of Intestinal Research: "Cinnamon: The Good, the Bad, and the Tasty."

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Insulin Resistance and Diabetes."

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine: "Cinnamon: A Multifaceted Medicinal Plant."

Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School: "Spice up your holidays with brain-healthy seasonings."

Journal of Diabetes Research: "Effect of Cinnamon Tea on Postprandial Glucose Concentration."

Molecules: "Effects of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) in Dentistry: A Review."

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: "Cinnamon."

Pharmacognosy Research: "Cinnamon: Mystic powers of a minute ingredient."

Pharmacological Research: "Cinnamaldehyde in diabetes: A review of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and safety."

Trials: "Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Ceylon cinnamon) as a potential pharmaceutical agent for type-2 diabetes mellitus: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial."

Tufts Medical Center: "Cinnamon."