Cinnamon & Cassia Essential Oils
Essential Oil News
What about Cinnamon and Cassia?
Most people in the United States don’t know that the “cinnamon” they are purchasing from the store is usually “cassia” or that there is even a difference. While they are related in both species and genus (Cinnamomum), they are not from the same plant nor do they have the same health and nutritional benefits.
What's the difference between Cinnamon and Cassia?
There are two types of cinnamon grown and harvested today: Ceylon cinnamon, which is also known as "true cinnamon," and cassia, which is usually sold and marketed as cinnamon in the United States. The two spices taste and smell very similar to one another, but they are grown and harvested in two very different places.
Ceylon or true cinnamon usually grows in Sri Lanka and South India. The cinnamon tree is a type of evergreen with a soft bark. Ceylon cinnamon quills will resemble a tightly rolled cigar once dried. Cinnamomum zeylanicum is used for Cinnamon Bark Oil.
Cassia cinnamon comes from a different plant and can be found most often in Indonesia, Vietnam, and China. This is what is commonly called ‘cinnamon’ in the United States. If you look at the photos below, you will see that Cassia is what most of us in the US have known as Cinnamon.
One of the primary differences between cinnamon and cassia is the coumarin content. Coumarin is a naturally occurring component of some plants that can be toxic when taken in large amounts. It can be damaging to the liver and nervous system. In Cinnamon, which is widely known to help support a healthy blood glucose level, the coumarin content is only found in trace amounts (if at all).
In Cassia however it is much higher, which poses the risk of causing damage to certain parts of the body when taken in large quantities. Using cassia in ordinary seasoning situations wouldn’t generally pose a large risk. If you like to consume large amounts of it though, you’ll want to make sure you have true organic cinnamon instead of cassia.
Important to know:
Unfortunately, cinnamon essential oil is one of the most commonly adulterated oils because the smell of cinnamon and cassia are so similar. From Dr. Robert Pappas:
"Cassia oil is very similar in chemical composition to cinnamon bark (both are high in cinnamic aldhehyde) but cassia is an inferior oil from an odor/flavor/therapeutic point of view and it can be as much as 1/10th the cost of cinnamon bark in certain markets. Because cassia is so much cheaper than true cinnamon bark its very tempting for companies to mix their cinnamon bark oil with cassia oil and charge their customers for pure cinnamon bark. This may seem like a crafty way to make some extra profits if you don’t know much about the chemistry of these oils."
How have they been used in the past?
Cassia has been used for thousands of years to maintain physical health and promote emotional well-being. It’s one of the few essential oils mentioned in the Old Testament, noted for its unmistakable fragrance and calming properties.
Cinnamon was used in ancient Egypt for embalming. It was also added to food to prevent spoiling. During the Bubonic Plague, sponges were soaked in cinnamon and cloves and placed in sick rooms. Cinnamon was the most sought after spice during explorations of the 15th and 16th centuries.
How do I use these oils?
Topically: Both essential oils are considered "Hot" oils, which means they can irritate the skin if not diluted. They must be well diluted with a carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil or the skin may feel like it's sunburned.
Mix 1 drop with a carrier oil to sooth achy joints.
Aromatically: add a couple of drops to a diffuser or breathe in the aroma from the bottle, but be aware that inhalation of cinnamon my irritated the mucous membranes of the nose.
Internally: 1drop can be taken in 4 oz. liquid - but be sure the essential oil you choose has a label that indicates it is safe enough to be taken internally!
· Add a drop in their smoothies, coffee or hot or iced tea for additional flavor
· Can be used for cooking
· 1 drop in a cup of warm water will soothe a sore throat.
· 1 drop in hot oatmeal or other cooked cereals
· 1-2 drops in the batter for French Toast
· 1 drop on the toothbrush before brushing teeth to support improved oral health
What does Cinnamon essential oil do?
· Promotes circulation
· Maintains a healthy immune system
· Promotes Oral Health
· Helps alleviates sore muscles and joints
· Long used for internal health benefits
· Long used as a natural flavoring
What does Cassia essential oil do?
· Promotes healthy digestion
· Supports healthy immune functions
· Warming and uplifting aroma
· Helps promote circulation
· Helps sore achy joints
How does Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil benefit my immune system?
You have heard about how important antioxidants are to help your immune system, The ORAC scale was created to rate foods based on the level of antioxidants of each.
Check this listing of foods and their ORAC ratings:
http://www.superfoodly.com/orac-values/
The ORAC value of ground cinnamon is 131,420, which ranks it #7 of all antioxidant foods in the world! It ranks above turmeric, pomegranate, Acai and Goji Berries
This lists ground cinnamon as # 7; we know essential oils are 50 to 70 times more potent than dried herbs or spices!
Cinnamon
Cinnamon and Cassia
Cassia sticks are in the form of double scrolls whereas Ceylon cinnamon has a layered tube structure. Ceylon cinnamon tends to be thinner and brittle than cassia.
Cassia
An Important Message about Quality!
Many companies sell an essential oil under the generic name "Frankincense" and offer their oils at a significantly lower price than companies that offer genuine pure essential Frankincense. The companies with inexpensive bottles of Frankincense essential oil even label them "100% pure", but lab tests show the contents of those oils have been diluted with inferior oils and even with turpentine!
Because of a lack of industry standards and a lack of regulation for terms such as "natural" or "100% pure", much of what you find at the drug store, and even at many heath stores is NOT a therapeutic grade essential oil and may lack real quality or even contain contaminants or adulterants (way more common than you'd think).
A LOT goes into creating a high quality essential oil.
A good brand should follow these guidelines:
- Proper plant varieties - look for the Latin Name of the plant!
- Each plant grown indigenously for the healthiest plant
- Grown without chemical pesticides, herbicides, etc.
- Harvested with precise timing to ensure peak properties
- Extracted with proper temp and pressure to preserve oil molecules
- Third-party testing of every batch
- Stand behind the internal use of their oils
The largest organ in your body is your skin.
- Anything applied to your skin is absorbed into your body.
- Anything inhaled, is also absorbed into your body.
If a bottle of essential oil states “external use only”, do you really want that impacting every cell of your body through absorption?
About me...
Hi! My name is Pamela Swamy and when I was first introduced to essential oils in August of 2013, to say I was highly skeptical would be an understatement!
I'm a registered nurse and distrusted anything that was outside the traditional mainstream. But I quickly realized essential oils have benefits far beyond their fragrances! After having some amazing personal experiences, it was not long before I started sharing them with friends and family and continue to do so.
I started these newsletters to help us all learn more ways to use and benefit from our essential oils, I've learned a lot doing the research; I hope you find some value in them too!
There are NO regulatory standards for essential oils and the labels don't always state what is actually inside the bottles. So it is important to purchase them from a company you trust to maintain the highest quality.
If you want to know which essential oils I prefer to use, please contact me by email or phone.
Email: Pams.AgelessOils@gmail.com
Location: Chicago area
Phone: 847.475.4170