Dalchini

Dosage: Stem Bark Powder: 1-3 gm; Leaves Powder: 1-3 gm; Oil: 2-5 drops

Their action on body (especially on lungs): Dalchini is useful in respiratory discomfort and running nose. Cinnamon (Dalchini) and Black pepper are boiled in water and filtered. This decoction taken with honey cures cough and reduce phlegm (Balgum).

Biochemistry: The primary constituents of the essential oil are 65% to 80% cinnamaldehyde and lesser percentages of other phenols and terpenes, including eugenol, trans-cinnamic acid, hydroxycinnamaldehyde, o-methoxycinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl alcohol and its acetate, limonene, alpha-terpineol, tannins, mucilage, oligomeric procyanidins and trace amounts of coumarin.

Uses of the herb: Dalchini pacifies Kapha and Vata Doshas but aggravates the Pitta Dosha; it can be used in conditions where there is aggravation of Kapha and Vata Dosha and Pitta activities are diminished. Dalchini is useful in management of heart problems and all diseases of urinary system. Regulary drinking of Cinnamomum zeylanicum tea made from the bark could be beneficial to oxidative stress related illness in humans, as the plant part contains significant antioxidant potential.