Plant Comparison

True Cinnamon vs Chamomile

A side-by-side comparison of two medicinal plants — every documented constituent, action, use, safety note and cited source, assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana database.

First plant

Second plant

Plant ATrue CinnamonCinnamomum verumLauraceaeFull monograph →

Plant BChamomileMatricaria chamomillaAsteraceaeFull monograph →

At a glance

True Cinnamon and Chamomile: they share 8 indicated uses (arthritis / joint pain, bloating, blood sugar / diabetes support, …); 4 pharmacological actions in common.

True CinnamonChamomile

Constituents24

Pharmacological actions711

Indicated uses1118

Safety notes24

Cited sources2025

Indicated uses

Only True Cinnamon

Cancer (anticancer research)Cardiovascular / heart healthMetabolic support

Shared (8)

Arthritis / joint painBloatingBlood sugar / diabetes supportIndigestionInfection (general)Inflammation (general)Skin irritationWounds

Only Chamomile

Back painBruisingEczemaHeadacheInsomnia / sleeplessnessMenstrual crampsMuscle spasmPain (general)AnxietyLow mood / depression

Pharmacological actions

Only True Cinnamon

Anticancer (preclinical)AntifungalAntioxidant

Shared (4)

Anti-inflammatoryAntidiabetic (blood-sugar lowering)AntimicrobialDigestive aid

Only Chamomile

Analgesic (pain relief)AntispasmodicEmollient / skin-soothingSedative / sleep supportVulnerary (wound healing)Anxiolytic / calmingAntidepressant / mood support

Evidence face-off — shared uses

Condition	True Cinnamon	Chamomile	Verdict
Arthritis / joint pain	7/10	5/10	Stronger for True Cinnamon
Bloating	1/10	1/10	Comparable evidence
Blood sugar / diabetes support	10/10	5/10	Stronger for True Cinnamon
Indigestion	1/10	1/10	Comparable evidence
Infection (general)	2/10	1/10	Comparable evidence
Inflammation (general)	7/10	1/10	Stronger for True Cinnamon
Skin irritation	7/10	1/10	Stronger for True Cinnamon
Wounds	2/10	1/10	Comparable evidence

Evidence scores (1–10) are computed from the tier of each cited source. “Comparable” means the two scores are within one point. Follow a score to its detailed sources.

Key Constituents

Cinnamaldehyde^{[2, 6, 7]}

Trans-cinnamaldehyde is the principal constituent of cinnamon bark essential oil and the main driver of its antimicrobial, antifungal (anti-Candida) and anti-inflammatory activity, acting partly by damaging microbial cell membranes and inhibiting NF-kB signalling.

Essential (volatile) oil

Coumarin (species caution)^[6]

Cassia cinnamon (C. cassia) contains high levels of coumarin, which is potentially hepatotoxic in excess; true Ceylon cinnamon (C. verum) contains only trace coumarin and is the safer culinary/medicinal choice. Several pooled clinical and antimicrobial studies do not distinguish the two species.

Coumarins

Essential oil (alpha-bisabolol, chamazulene)^{[1, 6]}

The volatile oil, concentrated in the flower head, gives chamomile its characteristic blue colour (chamazulene) and much of its anti-inflammatory activity (alpha-bisabolol).

Essential (volatile) oilAlpha-bisabololChamazulene

Flavonoids (apigenin, quercetin, luteolin, rutin)^[10]

Apigenin is considered a key contributor to chamomile's sedative/anxiolytic activity via GABA-A receptor binding.

ApigeninQuercetinLuteolinRutinFlavonoids

Coumarins^[6]

Minor constituents (e.g. herniarin, umbelliferone) contributing to the mild antispasmodic action.

Coumarins

Mucilage polysaccharides^[10]

Contribute to the soothing, demulcent effect on irritated mucous membranes.

MucilagePolysaccharides

Pharmacological Actions

Anti-inflammatory^{[2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10]}

Anticancer (preclinical)^[7]

Antidiabetic (blood-sugar lowering)^{[1, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]}

Antifungal^{[6, 8]}

Antimicrobial^{[2, 6, 8]}

Antioxidant^{[4, 8, 10]}

Digestive aid^[8]

Analgesic (pain relief)^{[12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}

Anti-inflammatory^{[1, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}

Antimicrobial^{[1, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}

Antispasmodic^{[1, 5, 6, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}

Antispasmodic (cramp easing)

Digestive aid^{[1, 5, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}

Emollient / skin-soothing^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}

Sedative / sleep support^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}

Vulnerary (wound healing)^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}

Anxiolytic / calming^{[3, 8]}

Antidepressant / mood support^[11]

Antidiabetic (blood-sugar lowering)^[13]

Traditional & Indicated Uses

Arthritis / joint pain^{[7, 8, 10]}Good · 7/10

inferred from anti-inflammatory action

Evidence: 7

Label: Arthritis / joint pain

Bloating^[8]Traditional · 1/10

inferred from digestive action

Evidence: 1

Label: Bloating

Blood sugar / diabetes support^{[1, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]}Strong · 10/10

inferred from antidiabetic action

Evidence: 10

Label: Blood sugar / diabetes support

Cancer (anticancer research)^[7]Traditional · 2/10

inferred from anticancer action

Evidence: 2

Label: Cancer (anticancer research)

Cardiovascular / heart health^{[1, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15]}Strong · 10/10

Evidence: 10

Label: Cardiovascular / heart health

Indigestion^[8]Traditional · 1/10

inferred from digestive action

Evidence: 1

Label: Indigestion

Infection (general)^{[6, 8]}Traditional · 2/10

inferred from antifungal action

Evidence: 2

Label: Infection (general)

Inflammation (general)^{[7, 8, 10]}Good · 7/10

inferred from anti-inflammatory action

Evidence: 7

Label: Inflammation (general)

Metabolic support^{[8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]}Strong · 9/10

inferred from antidiabetic action

Evidence: 9

Label: Metabolic support

Skin irritation^{[7, 8, 10]}Good · 7/10

inferred from anti-inflammatory action

Evidence: 7

Label: Skin irritation

Wounds^{[6, 8]}Traditional · 2/10

inferred from antimicrobial action

Evidence: 2

Label: Wounds

Arthritis / joint pain^{[12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Moderate · 5/10

inferred from anti-inflammatory action

Evidence: 5

Label: Arthritis / joint pain

Back pain^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from analgesic action

Evidence: 1

Label: Back pain

Bloating^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from digestive action

Evidence: 1

Label: Bloating

Bruising^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from vulnerary action

Evidence: 1

Label: Bruising

Eczema^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from emollient action

Evidence: 1

Label: Eczema

Headache^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from analgesic action

Evidence: 1

Label: Headache

Indigestion^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from digestive action

Evidence: 1

Label: Indigestion

Infection (general)^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from antimicrobial action

Evidence: 1

Label: Infection (general)

Inflammation (general)^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from anti-inflammatory action

Evidence: 1

Label: Inflammation (general)

Insomnia / sleeplessness^{[2, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Good · 7/10

inferred from sedative action

Evidence: 7

Label: Insomnia / sleeplessness

Menstrual cramps^{[14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Good · 7/10

inferred from antispasmodic action

Evidence: 7

Label: Menstrual cramps

Muscle spasm^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from antispasmodic action

Evidence: 1

Label: Muscle spasm

Pain (general)^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Traditional · 1/10

Evidence: 1

Label: Pain (general)

Skin irritation^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from anti-inflammatory action

Evidence: 1

Label: Skin irritation

Wounds^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from antimicrobial action

Evidence: 1

Label: Wounds

Anxiety^{[3, 8]}Moderate · 6/10

Evidence: 6

Label: Anxiety

Low mood / depression^[11]Moderate · 5/10

Evidence: 5

Label: Low mood / depression

Blood sugar / diabetes support^[13]Moderate · 5/10

Evidence: 5

Label: Blood sugar / diabetes support

Safety, Cautions & Contraindications

Safety note^{[8, 11, 12]}Serious

True cinnamon (C. verum) is safe in culinary and moderate medicinal doses. Cassia (C. cassia) contains high coumarin — excessive intake may be hepatotoxic and should not be confused with true cinnamon. May lower blood sugar — use caution with antidiabetic medications. Avoid high doses during pregnancy.

Safety note^{[8, 11, 12, 16]}Serious

Duke (2002) rates Ceylon cinnamon as +++ and provides clinical evidence (score 2) for antibacterial activity, consistent with Commission E and WHO recognition. Key activities include antifungal (anti-Candida), antispasmodic, and carminative effects. Cinnamon contains cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, and coumarin. Important safety concern: Duke's entry aggregates true cinnamon (C. verum) and cassia (C. cassia) — cassia contains significantly higher coumarin levels (potentially hepatotoxic) than true Ceylon cinnamon. True cinnamon (C. verum) has very low coumarin content and is safe at normal culinary doses. Medicinal dose: 0.5–1 g bark powder three times daily. Caution: cinnamon bark oil is highly irritating to mucous membranes (Duke, 2002).

Safety note^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Caution

Generally considered very safe when used as tea or topical preparations.Allergy risk: People allergic to ragweed, daisies, or other Asteraceae plants may react (itching, rash).Blood thinners: Chamomile may slightly enhance effects of anticoagulants—use large amounts cautiously.Pregnancy: Normal tea amounts are usually considered safe, but concentrated extracts should be used with caution.Topical use: Rare skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

Safety note^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20]}Caution

Duke (2002) rates German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) highly for anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and wound-healing activities. The essential oil contains the potent anti-inflammatory compound alpha-bisabolol. Chamomile is Commission E approved for digestive complaints and topical wound care. Dose: 3 g dried flower heads per cup of water, three times daily. Alpha-bisabolol is noted as one of the most active natural anti-inflammatory compounds known. Caution: chamomile belongs to the Asteraceae family and can cause allergic reactions in individuals sensitive to ragweed, chrysanthemums, or related plants (Duke, 2002).

Safety note^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}Caution

Generally very safe. Rare allergic reactions in individuals sensitive to the Asteraceae family (ragweed, chrysanthemums). May cause contact dermatitis with topical essential oil use. Avoid very high doses in pregnancy. Well tolerated by children in appropriate amounts.

Safety note^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20]}Info

Scented mayweed (Matricaria chamomilla) shares the same species as German chamomile (see German Chamomile entry above). Duke (2002) provides the same clinical support: Commission E approves it for dyspeptic complaints (orally) and skin and mucous membrane inflammation (topically). Anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and wound-healing activities are well-established (Duke, 2002).

External Ids

Gbif: 3033987

Powo: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:463752-1

Wikidata: Q370239

Gbif: 8370958

Wikidata: Q28437

Botanical Description

Evergreen tree with smooth, thin, light brown bark and leathery, oval leaves with three prominent longitudinal veins, often flushed reddish-pink when young. Small, pale yellow-green flowers are borne in panicles, followed by small, dark, single-seeded berries. The thin inner bark is peeled and dried into the characteristic pale, tightly layered, multi-ply quills of true cinnamon.

Height: Up to 10-15 m (often coppiced lower in cultivation)

Habit: Evergreen tree, often coppiced/pruned under cultivation

Leaves: Leathery, oval, three prominent longitudinal veins, reddish-pink when young

Flowers: Small, pale yellow-green, in panicles

Stem: Smooth, thin, light brown bark

Root: Woody root system

Fruit: Small, dark, single-seeded berry

Flowering Period: Varies with climate

Aromatic annual herb, 15-60 cm tall, with an erect, much-branched, hairless stem. Leaves are alternate and finely bi- to tripinnately divided into thread-like segments, giving a feathery appearance. Flower heads are small daisy-like composites, 1-2.5 cm across, with white ray florets that reflex sharply downward as the flower matures around a conical, hollow, yellow disc of tubular florets - the hollow, conical receptacle is a key feature distinguishing German chamomile from similar-looking daisies. The fruit is a tiny ribbed achene without a pappus.^{[1, 10]}

Height: 15-60 cm

Habit: Erect, much-branched, aromatic annual herb

Leaves: Alternate, finely 2-3-pinnately divided into thread-like segments

Flowers: Small daisy-like heads with downward-reflexed white ray florets around a conical hollow yellow disc

Stem: Erect, much-branched, hairless

Root: Slender taproot

Fruit: Tiny ribbed achene, no pappus

Flowering Period: May-August

Habitat

Native to Sri Lanka and the Malabar coast of southern India; cultivated in warm, humid tropical lowlands, especially Sri Lanka, which remains the main source of true (Ceylon) cinnamon.

Native to Europe and western Asia and now naturalised worldwide, growing on disturbed, sunny ground - arable field margins, waste places, roadsides and sandy or loamy soils; widely cultivated as a medicinal crop.^{[1, 6]}

Harvesting

Young shoots are cut back to encourage thin, straight new growth; the thin outer bark is scraped away and the paper-thin inner bark is peeled off, dried and rolled by hand into the characteristic multi-layered quills of Ceylon cinnamon.

Parts: Bark

Flower heads are hand- or machine-harvested at full bloom, when the ray florets are horizontal and just beginning to reflex, then dried quickly at low temperature and out of direct light to preserve the volatile oil.^[6]

Parts: Flower heads

Season: Late spring to summer, at full bloom

Traditional Uses

True cinnamon bark has an ancient trade and medicinal history across Asia, the Middle East and Europe as a warming digestive and circulatory remedy, used for indigestion and as a general tonic spice; because it contains only trace coumarin, it is considered the safer species for frequent or medicinal use compared with cassia.^[8]

Chamomile is one of the most widely used medicinal herbs in the world, with a long traditional history as a mild digestive, calming and anti-inflammatory remedy - taken as a tea for indigestion, cramping, and restlessness or poor sleep, and applied topically for skin and mucous-membrane inflammation and wound healing. Modern reviews confirm anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, sedative/anxiolytic and antimicrobial pharmacological activity supporting these traditional uses.^{[1, 6, 10]}

Preparations

Standardised extract/powder^[8]

Dried bark powder or standardised extract taken as capsules for metabolic and antioxidant support.

Decoction/infusion^[9]

Comminuted bark infused in hot water as a herbal tea, 0.5-1 g up to four times daily per the EU herbal monograph. The monograph describes an infusion; it does not cover a simmered decoction. Educational reference only, not a prescription.

Infusion (tea)^{[6, 10]}

Dried flower heads steeped in hot water, the classic way of taking chamomile for digestive complaints, mild anxiety and sleep support.

Essential oil^[1]

Steam-distilled from the flower heads; a concentrated source of alpha-bisabolol and chamazulene, used mainly in topical and aromatherapy preparations.

Topical cream/compress^[12]

Concentrated extract or infused oil applied to skin, or as a compress - a randomised controlled trial found a topical chamomile oil preparation effective for knee osteoarthritis pain.

Dosage

Bark powder^[9]

The EU herbal monograph on Cinnamomum verum J.S. Presl, cortex gives, for adults and elderly, 0.5-1 g of the comminuted bark as an infusion up to 4 times daily; a liquid extract at 0.5-1 mL three times daily and a tincture at a daily dose of 2-4 mL are also listed. Not recommended under 18 years, and a practitioner should be consulted if symptoms persist beyond 2 weeks. Note this is Ceylon cinnamon (C. verum); cassia species carry a much higher coumarin load and are not covered here. Educational reference only, not a prescription.

Infusion (tea)^{[15, 16, 17, 18, 19]}

Traditional guidance and Duke (2002) suggest about 3 g of dried flower heads per cup of water, taken up to three times daily. Educational reference only, not a prescription.

References

REF-2413, REF-2414, REF-2415, REF-2416, REF-2417

REF-1153, REF-1154, REF-1155, REF-1156, REF-1157, REF-1158, REF-1159, REF-1160, REF-1161, REF-1162, REF-2348, REF-2349, REF-2350, REF-2351

Drug Class Interactions

Safety note^{[17, 18]}Caution

Drug Class: antidiabetics

Mechanism: Cinnamon can lower blood sugar (a meta-analysis of 28 trials in type 2 diabetes found reduced fasting glucose and HbA1c), so combining it with diabetes medicines such as insulin, metformin or sulfonylureas may increase the risk of hypoglycaemia; monitor blood glucose.