A tale of two cinnamons: A comparative review of the clinical evidence of Cinnamomum verum and C. cassia as diabetes interventions

Shinjyo N, Waddell G, Green J · Journal of Herbal Medicine · 2020 June

DOI 10.1016/j.hermed.2020.100342

Objective

This review investigates the effectiveness of two cinnamon species, Cinnamomum verum and C. cassia, in diabetes management; their impact on related health conditions and relevant parameters in healthy individuals and safety issues.

Conclusions

While evidence supports the therapeutic benefit of C. cassia, interchangeability of C. cassia and C. verum remains inconclusive. Further research is warranted to address the effectiveness and safety of these cinnamon species. Given the potential hepatotoxicity of C. cassia, RCTs that include liver function tests are required. Robust RCTs on C. verum are recommended to establish if its efficacy can match its safety profile.

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