The medicinal properties of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum -common name true cinnamon) have been scientifically studied, and preliminary results suggest it has antidiabetic properties (Ranasinghe et al., 2012). Other studies indicate that cinnamon can reduce cholesterol, thus making the species cardio-protective (Shan et al., 2007).
However, cinnamon is not listed as one of the popular anti-diabetic herbs in Ayurveda. There is mention of another species belonging to the genus Cinnamomum. The species is a small tree, and its leaf is used as a spice. The plant’s botanical name is Cinnamomum tamala common name – tejpatta ancient spice name given by Romans -malabathrum).
The main medicinal action of the plant is its ability to reduce blood sugar. Experiments on rats validate this property. The effect is comparable to the antidiabetic modern drug Glibenclamide (Chakraborty et al., 2010). These studies raise the likelihood of its probable use as an adjunct medicine for treating diabetes (Kumar et al., 2012).
The plant is also known to reduce cholesterol levels in rats (Dhulasawant et al., 2010; and AL-Mamun et al., 2011)
Additional reading:
- Holy Herbs: Modern Connections to Ancient Plants
- Natural Solutions for diabetes
- Asian herbs and their wondrous health-giving properties