Inner bark, twigs.
The anti-viral and stimulating properties of the volatile cinnamon oil is the prime reason for the medicinal value of the herb and the oil is the single most important product from the herb as far as its use in herbal medicine is concerned. The herbal remedies made from the cinnamon can help in relieving cramps, they can help in alleviating colic, and they also act as an herbal relaxant, helping reduce the general anxiety and stress in affected patients. The volatile oil of the cinnamon contains a chemical called eugenol which can aid in relieving pain in the body, particularly in such instances as when it is used as a liniment during the treatment of arthritis, this chemical is also helpful in reducing the pain of a toothache as it deadens the nerve ending. At the same time, the remedial properties of the herb come into full effectiveness against disorders such as persistent headaches, against muscle pain and neuralgia in the body. The herbal remedies based on the cinnamon plant are also useful stimulants of the digestive system and have a warming effect on the body, they are also very useful in cases of weakened digestion in the digestive system, the remedies are also useful against colic, in the treatment of griping pains, in the treatment of disorders such as diarrhea, and in the treatment of nausea and vomiting, as well as in alleviating excess wind and distension in the abdominal region. Other chemicals in the plant also come into play and give the herbal remedy many unique properties, for example, an astringent action is ascribed to the tannins, this property of the herb is also successful in stemming the bleeding during heavy nosebleeds, it can be used to stanch heavy periods and aids in resolving diarrhea and problems such as catarrhal congestion in different patients. Excess perspiration can also be stopped if the cinnamon is taken as a cold herbal remedy. Cinnamon was traditionally used as a herbal warming agent, in the herbal medicine of both India and Europe, the herb was a treatment for "cold" conditions and was believed to induce warmth in the patient, cinnamon remedies were traditionally also taken combined with some ginger - spp. Zingiber officinale to induce the warmth in the body. Circulation in the body is stimulated by the herb, and the remedy is particularly relevant to the circulation in the fingers and toes - when such extremities of the body become to cold. Traditional healers also made extensive use of the herbal cinnamon based remedies as a treatment for all sorts of digestive problems, specifically in the treatment of nausea, to treat cases of vomiting and diarrhea, it was also used in the treatment of various aches, to treat cramped muscles and in the treatment of other symptoms ascribed to viral infections such as the common cold and flu. Cinnamon is also used extensively and as a specific herbal remedy in patients with debilitations, it is also a major herbal remedy during the convalescence process from physical and mental injuries. Menstrual bleeding is also encouraged by the herb and it is believed to posses a slight emmenagogic ability - thus capable of aiding in the active stimulation of the uterus in women affected by menstrual problems. The contraceptive action of the cinnamon is made use of in India, and the herb is usually taken by women following childbirth in this role as a guard against early pregnancy.
This herb grows best in tropical forest with an altitude of 1500 ft or 500 meters, wild populations of the plant originally grew only in India and Sri Lanka, however, the cinnamon is now grown in many other areas of the world with similar climates. For examples, the West Indies and the Philippines now have extensive areas dedicated to the cultivation of the cinnamon, such plantations are found in many other tropical regions of the world as well. Cuttings of the plant are taken and used in propagations in many of these plantations; such cuttings are done once every second year in the rainy season, when the young cinnamon trees are cut to just above ground level in controlled cultivation. When harvesting of the bark is done, the harvested bark is usually exposed to fermentation processes for twenty four hours at a stretch, and harvesting is usually done from the stump shoots. The inner bark of the cinnamon is revealed as the outer bark is scraped clean and the plant is left to regenerate new bark during the next growing season.
The sedative and analgesic action of the constituent of the bark cinnamaldehyde was confirmed during the 1980s, through Japanese research. This particular constituent of the cinnamon plant is believed to be capable of brining about a reduction in any fevers and elevated blood pressure in patients. Bactericidal as well as antifungal properties have also been attributed to the cinnamon bark products.
Cinnamon can be used as an antiseptic herbal mouthwash to replace Listerine, in this role the herbal remedy will also kill germs on contact similar to Listerine. Prepare this herbal mouthwash by adding half a teaspoonful of the cinnamon herbal in half a tumbler of warm water. This herbal mouthwash is excellent and very effective especially when the smell of breath is unpleasant and the if there is decay in the teeth - it is totally natural and comes without any side effects. The herbal cinnamon tincture can be prepared by combining ten and a half tbsp. of powdered cinnamon with about one and one fourth of a cup of vodka. Once the cinnamon powder has been added to the vodka, sufficient water can be added to the combination to turn the tincture into a 50% solution of alcohol. The mixture must then be kept inside a bottle and left alone for two weeks, the bottle can be shaken on a regular basis while it is settling, usually once in the morning and once again in the evening to ensure proper mixing of the herbal powder into the alcohol. Following the two week period of shaking and settling, the liquid can then be strained, poured into a bottle suitable for long term storage for later use. Once this has been done, the prepared tincture can last a long time and can be used at any time as an herbal mouth wash. Cinnamon is used mainly as a spice, and even in this role it can serve a remedial purpose, a very delicious and quite helpful remedial use of the spice can be in its use for the treatment of internal disorders such as acid indigestion, cases of heartburn and muscular cramps, some cinnamon or cardamoms can be sprinkled over hot and buttered raisin toast and eaten slowly when suffering from such problems to gain relief, the bread must be chewed slowly and thoroughly before it is swallowed for optimal relief. Cinnamon can also be used to make a very effective traditional French folk remedy, which can be used in the treatment of common colds and flues, prepare this remedy by taking two cups of water in a pan, boil this water and add a small stick of the cinnamon along with a few cloves, the water can be boiled gradually for about three minutes and then removed. Once the boiling is done, the pan can be removed and to the solution two tsp. of lemon juice and one and a half tbsp. of dark honey or if unavailable blackstrap molasses can be added, the honey or the molasses can also be substituted by two tbsp. good quality whiskey as well. Once all of these have been added to the liquid mixture, stir the liquids well and leave it covered, for about twenty minutes, the solution can be steeped so as to allow the thorough mixing of the ingredients. Dosage of the cinnamon based herbal mixture can be half a cup per dose, taken once every 3-4 hours of the day, during the entire treatment period. Any fever in the body and the concomitant congestion during the common cold or influenza can be easily broken up and alleviated by drinking this herbal mixture made from the cinnamon.
