Recipes Courses Beverages A Simple Cinnamon Tea Recipe By Cathy Wong facebook twitter Cathy Wong is a nutritionist and wellness expert. Her work is regularly featured in media such as First For Women, Woman's World, and Natural Health. Learn about our editorial process Cathy Wong Updated on February 04, 2020 Print Brent Winebrenner/Getty Images (172 ratings) Total Time: 15 min Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 10 min Servings: 1 Nutrition Highlights (per serving) 0 calories 0g fat 0g carbs 0g protein Show Nutrition Label Hide Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings: 1 Amount per serving Calories 0 % Daily Value* Total Fat 0g 0% Saturated Fat 0g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 0mg 0% Total Carbohydrate 0g 0% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Total Sugars 0g Includes 0g Added Sugars 0% Protein 0g Vitamin D 0mcg 0% Calcium 0mg 0% Iron 0mg 0% Potassium 0mg 0% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. One of the key ingredients in chai tea and spice tea, cinnamon has a delicious, naturally sweet flavor and is one of the oldest known spices. Widely used in cooking and in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, cinnamon is touted as a natural remedy with a variety of health benefits. Despite its long history of use, cinnamon tea has been tested in very few studies. However, a 2018 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that consumption of a cinnamon extract significantly reduced inflammation and clinical symptoms in people with rheumatoid arthritis. A review of previously published studies found that cinnamon consumption was associated with a decrease in levels of fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. However, there was no significant effect on hemoglobin A1c levels. Although some people like to simply sprinkle cinnamon on oatmeal or apple slices, cinnamon tea is another option. Here is a simple recipe to try: Ingredients 1 cinnamon stick (Ceylon cinnamon) 1 cup (8 oz. or about 250 mL) boiling water 1 tea bag (regular or decaffeinated black tea or herbal tea) Optional: honey (or other sweetener) to taste Preparation Place the cinnamon stick in a mug. Add the boiling water and steep the cinnamon stick tea, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the teabag. Steep for one to two additional minutes. Remove the teabag and cinnamon stick. Sweeten to taste, if desired. Optional Ingredients If you use black tea (either regular or decaffeinated), you can add in warm milk or a dairy-free substitute and sweeten it to taste with honey or maple syrup. Instead of black tea, you can substitute a rooibos or honeybush teabag. If you prefer to drink it without black tea, you can omit the tea bag, however try adding 1 to 2 thin slices of fresh ginger to the cup before steeping for a spicy kick. For an additional flavor boost, add a dash of turmeric and black pepper with the ginger before steeping. You can also squeeze a lemon or lime wedge into the tea. Precautions Many products labeled cinnamon are sourced from species of cinnamon (such as the Cinnamomum cassia plant) that contain coumarin, a natural substance known to be hepatotoxic and carcinogenic. Excessive consumption of cinnamon tea may result in coumarin intake that exceeds the safe limit. (In Europe, for instance, the tolerable daily intake for coumarin is 0.1 mg/kg body weight.) People taking diabetes medication or any medication that affects blood glucose or insulin levels shouldn't take therapeutic doses of cinnamon without first consulting their health care providers. Taking cinnamon together with medication may have an additive effect and cause blood glucose levels to dip too low. Also, people who have been prescribed medication to manage their blood sugar should not reduce or discontinue their dose and take cinnamon instead, especially without speaking with a doctor. Improperly treated diabetes can lead to serious complications, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and nerve damage. Pregnant women should avoid excessive amounts of cinnamon and shouldn't take it as a supplement. Some people may experience allergic reactions to herbal tea containing cinnamon. Cinnamon has been found to cause allergic dermatitis. Rashes may appear around the mouth and lips (areas that come in contact with cinnamon) or may be widespread on the skin of the body. According to one report, 1000 mg of cinnamon bark powder taken daily was associated with fluid retention (edema) and can possibly worsen congestive heart failure. Drinking Cinnamon Tea Beyond potential health benefits, a cup of cinnamon tea can be a delicious addition to your regular tea rotation. Still, overdoing it can lead to excessive intake of coumarins if you use such cinnamon species as Cinnamomum cassia. If you're unsure of how much you should be drinking, consult your health care provider before adding it to your diet. Rate this Recipe You've already rated this recipe. Thanks for your rating! Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get simple, delicious recipes to help you eat well without feeling deprived. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Shishehbor F, Rezaeyan safar M, Rajaei E, Haghighizadeh MH. Cinnamon consumption improves clinical symptoms and inflammatory markers in women with rheumatoid arthritis. J Am Coll Nutr. 2018;:1-6. doi:10.1080/07315724.2018.1460733 Allen RW, Schwartzman E, Baker WL, Coleman CI, Phung OJ. Cinnamon use in type 2 diabetes: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Fam Med. 2013;11(5):452-9. doi:10.1370/afm.1517 Abraham K, Wöhrlin F, Lindtner O, Heinemeyer G, Lampen A. Toxicology and risk assessment of coumarin: focus on human data. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2010;54(2):228-39. doi:10.1002/mnfr.200900281 Kizilaslan N, Erdem NZ. The effect of different amounts of cinnamon consumption on blood glucose in healthy adult individuals. Int J Food Sci. 2019;2019:4138534. doi:10.1155/2019/4138534 Mertens M, Gilissen L, Goossens A, Lambert J, Vermander E, Aerts O. Generalized systemic allergic dermatitis caused by Cinnamomum zeylanicum in a herbal tea. Contact Derm. 2017;77(4):259-261. doi:10.1111/cod.12812 Crawford P, Crawford AJ. Edema from raking Cinnamon for treatment of diabetes: similar biochemistry and pathophysiology to thiazolidinedione medications. J Am Board Fam Med. 2018;31(5):809-811. doi:10.3122/jabfm.2018.05.180024