Chinese cinnamon
Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J.PreslLauraceae // bark
Overview
Plant parts
bark
Known constituents
cinnamaldehyde, coumarin, procyanidins
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include cinnamaldehyde; coumarin; procyanidins; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
TRADITIONAL: Chinese cinnamon has been used for warming digestive and metabolic uses; this records historical/traditional use and does not establish efficacy.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Modern evidence
EVIDENCE: For the major use set (warming digestive and metabolic uses), the evidence assessment is limited/mixed: Limited/mixed evidence for glycemic outcomes; product and species heterogeneity substantial.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph and mixed scientific literature · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Mixed findings, product heterogeneity, or indirect evidence are preserved in the detailed profile.
Preparation
Forms used traditionally
A listed form does not imply it suits every plant part, or that one preparation is interchangeable with another — see the plant’s own notes below.
PREPARATION: The medicinal material is bark; traditional and modern forms include decoction, tincture, powder/capsule, standardized extract. No dose or potency is specified.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Preparation-specific evidence should not be generalized across extracts, teas, oils, or whole herb.
Safety
Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)
Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.
SAFETY: Major issues include Coumarin-associated liver toxicity; allergy and irritation. Contraindications/cautions include Liver disease; cinnamon allergy.
HIGH · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements
SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include Potential additive anticoagulant and glucose-lowering effects.
MODERATE · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements
Some interactions are theoretical or based on case reports/pharmacokinetics rather than outcome trials.
SAFETY: Pregnancy/lactation reference: Food use differs; medicinal-dose pregnancy/lactation data insufficient.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph or evidence synthesis · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.
Preparation × species risk matrix
Unknown means insufficient evidence was located — not that a form is safe.
Cats
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Dogs
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Identity
- Related, not interchangeableCinnamon
Ceylon cinnamon and cassia are both sold simply as cinnamon.
MODERATE · Cassia cinnamon with high coumarin contents to be consumed in moderation
Botanical synonym
Cinnamomum aromaticum Nees
Taxonomic identity note
- Chinese cinnamon is treated here as Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J.Presl in the family Lauraceae; recorded older names include Cinnamomum aromaticum Nees.
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
EMA monograph
NIH LiverTox monograph
- Plants of the World Online1 claim
botanical taxonomy database
WHO monograph
government risk assessment