Recipe
Ceylon cinnamon bark decoction
- Herb:
- Ceylon cinnamon Cinnamomum verum
- Method:
- Decoction
- Plant part:
- Bark
About 15 minBeginnerRecipe science profile
Procedure
- Break a Ceylon cinnamon quill into pieces and put it in a small pan with 300 ml of water.
- Bring to a gentle boil and simmer covered for 10 minutes.
- Strain into a mug; add a slice of apple or a little honey to the warm drink if you like.
- Drink warm after meals, 1–2 mugs a day, for a few days at most.
Extraction
- Herb:
- 1 stick (about 3 g) of Ceylon cinnamon per 300 ml
- Solvent:
- water, simmer for 10 minutes, covered
- Shelf life:
- drink warm, the same day
- Target compounds:
- cinnamaldehyde and other essential oil constituents enter hot water; tannins add an astringent taste
Notes
Use Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), which is low in coumarin; cassia contains many times more. The EMA monograph does not recommend medicinal use in pregnancy or breastfeeding, or with an allergy to cinnamon or Peru balsam. Diarrhoea lasting more than two days or with fever belongs with a doctor.
Why it works
The decoction draws cinnamaldehyde and tannins from the bark; the EMA monograph accepts the traditional use for bloating and mild diarrhoea on the basis of long-standing use, not clinical trials. Meta-analyses of cinnamon and blood glucose mostly concern cassia in capsules, not this drink.
Literature
- EMA HMPC — Cinnamomi cortex (Cinnamomum verum J.S. Presl, cortex), European Union herbal monograph — Traditional use for mild spasmodic digestive complaints, including bloating, and for mild diarrhoea.
Related
Ceylon cinnamon — Herb card
Decoction — Processing method detail