INDIAN CASSIA

Other Names:

Chai Gui, Cinnamomum tamala, Indian Bay Leaf, Indian Bark, Malobathrum, Talisha Pattri, Tamala, Tamala Patar, Tamala Patra, Tamalpatra, Tejpat, Tejpat Oil, Tejpata, Tejpatra, Tejpatta, Tez Pat, Tezpat.

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INDIAN CASSIA Overview Information

Indian cassia is a tree. It grows in parts of the Himalayas, other northern parts of India, Asia, and Australia. The leaf and bark are used as medicine.

Indian cassia is used for diabetes, cough, common cold, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

In foods, Indian cassia is used as a spice or flavoring agent.

How does it work?

Indian cassia might help the pancreas release insulin. This might lower blood sugar in people with diabetes.

INDIAN CASSIA Uses & Effectiveness

Insufficient Evidence for:

Diabetes. Taking Indian cassia three times per day for 3 months might lower blood sugar in people with diabetes.
Asthma.
Bad breath.
Excessive crying in infants (colic).
Common cold.
Complications after childbirth.
Cough.
Diarrhea.
Gonorrhea.
Menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea).
Heart disease.
Indigestion (dyspepsia).
Liver disease.
Nausea and vomiting.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Sexual problems that prevent satisfaction during sexual activity.
Skin damage caused by the sun.
Sore throat.
Tuberculosis.
Other uses.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of Indian cassia for these uses.

INDIAN CASSIA Side Effects & Safety

When taken by mouth: There isn't enough reliable information available to know if Indian cassia is safe or what the side effects might be.

When applied to the skin: There isn't enough reliable information available to know if Indian cassia is safe or what the side effects might be.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if Indian cassia is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Diabetes: Indian cassia might lower blood sugar. Watch for signs of low blood sugar and monitor your blood sugar carefully if you have diabetes and use Indian cassia.

Surgery: Indian cassia might lower blood sugar levels. There is some concern that it might interfere with blood sugar control during and after surgery. Stop using Indian cassia at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.

INDIAN CASSIA Interactions

Moderate Interaction Be cautious with this combination

Medication for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) interacts with INDIAN CASSIA
Indian cassia might lower blood sugar. Diabetes medications are used to lower blood sugar. Taking Indian cassia along with diabetes medications might cause blood sugar to go too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed.

Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.
Water pills (Diuretic drugs) interacts with INDIAN CASSIA
Indian cassia might decrease potassium in the body. Water pills can also decrease potassium in the body. Taking Indian cassia along with water pills might decrease potassium in the body too much.

Some water pills that can decrease potassium include chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone (Thalitone), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, Hydrodiuril, Microzide), and others.

INDIAN CASSIA Dosing

The appropriate dose of Indian cassia depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for Indian cassia. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

View clinical references for this vitamin or supplement Sources

References:

Ahmed A, Choudhary MI, Farooq A, Demirci B, Demirci F, Baser KC. Essential oil constituents of the spice Cinnamomum tamala (Ham.) Nees & Eberm. Flavour and Fragrance Journal. 2000 Nov 1;15(6):388-90.

Al-Mamun R, Hamid A, Islam MK, Chowdhury JA, Azam AZ. Lipid lowering activity and free radical scavenging effect of Cinnamomum tamala (fam: Lauraceae). International Journal of Natural Sciences. 2011;1(4):93-6.

Arshad W, Khan HMS, Akhtar N, Nawaz M. Assessment of changes in biophysical parameters by dermocosmetic emulgel loaded with Cinnamomum tamala extract: A split-faced and placebo-controlled study. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020 Jul;19(7):1667-1675. doi: 10.1111/jocd.13198. Online ahead of print. View abstract.

Chen L, Sun P, Wang T,et al. Diverse mechanisms of antidiabetic effects of the different procyanidin oligomer types of two different cinnamon species on db/db mice. J Agric Food Chem. 2012 Sep 12;60(36):9144-50. View abstract.

Chen L, Yang Y, Yuan P, et al. Immunosuppressive Effects of A-Type Procyanidin Oligomers from Cinnamomum tamala. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:365258. View abstract.

Dhulasavant V, Shinde S, Pawar M, Naikwade NS. Antihyperlipidemic activity of Cinnamomum tamala Nees, on high cholesterol diet induced hyperlipidemia. Int J Pharm Tech Res. 2010 Oct;2(4):2517-21.

Konda MR, Alluri KV, Janardhanan PK, Trimurtulu G, Sengupta K. Combined extracts of Garcinia mangostana fruit rind and Cinnamomum tamala leaf supplementation enhances muscle strength and endurance in resistance trained males. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2018;15(1):50. View abstract.

Kumar S, Vasudeva N, Sharma S. GC-MS analysis and screening of antidiabetic, antioxidant and hypolipidemic potential of Cinnamomum tamala oil in streptozotocin induced diabetes mellitus in rats. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2012 Aug 10;11:95. View abstract.

Mishra AK, Singh BK, Pandey AK. In vitro-antibacterial activity and phytochemical profiles of Cinnamomum tamala (Tejpat) leaf extracts and oil. Reviews in Infection. 2010;1(3):134-9.

Pandey AK, Mishra AK, Mishra A. Antifungal and antioxidative potential of oil and extracts derived from leaves of Indian spice plant Cinnamomum tamala. Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand). 2012 Dec 22;58(1):142-7. View abstract.

Qureshi AA. Evaluation of antioxidant and hepatoprotective potential of Cinnamomum tamala leaves in rats. Evaluation. 2015 Sep 1;4(3):156-62.

Rahman M, Khatun A, Islam MM, et al. Evaluation of antimicrobial, cytotoxic, thrombolytic, diuretic properties and total phenolic content of Cinnamomum tamala. International Journal of Green Pharmacy. 2013 Jul 1;7(3):236.

Satyal P, Paudel P, Poudel A, Dosoky NS, Pokharel KK, Setzer WN. Bioactivities and compositional analyses of Cinnamomum essential oils from Nepal: C. camphora, C. tamala, and C. glaucescens. Nat Prod Commun. 2013 Dec;8(12):1777-84. View abstract.

Shah M, Panchal M. Ethnopharmacological properties of Cinnamomum tamala-a review. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research. 2010 Nov;5(3).

Sharma V, Rao LJ. An overview on chemical composition, bioactivity and processing of leaves of Cinnamomum tamala. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2014;54(4):433-48. View abstract.

Singh TN, Upadhyay BN, Tewari CM, Tripathi SN. Management of diabetes mellitus (prameha) with inula racemosa and cinnamomum tamala. Anc Sci Life. 1985 Jul;5(1):9-16. View abstract.

Singh V, Singh SP, Singh M, Gupta AK, Kumar A. Combined potentiating action of phytochemical(s) from Cinnamomum tamala and Aloe vera for their anti-diabetic and insulinomimetic effect using in vivo rat and in vitro NIH/3T3 cell culture system. Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2015 Mar;175(5):2542-63. View abstract.

Sun P, Wang T, Chen L, et al. Trimer procyanidin oligomers contribute to the protective effects of cinnamon extracts on pancreatic ß-cells in vitro. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2016 Aug;37(8):1083-90. View abstract.

Thamizhselvam N, Soumya S, Sanjayakumar YR, Salinichandran K, Venugopalan TN, Jaya N. Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activity of methanolic extract of Cinnamomum tamala (nees) in experimental animal models. International Journal of Bioassays. 2012 Oct 17;1(09):26-9.

Wang T, Sun P, Chen L, et al. Cinnamtannin D-1 protects pancreatic ß-cells from palmitic acid-induced apoptosis by attenuating oxidative stress. J Agric Food Chem. 2014 Jun 4;62(22):5038-45. View abstract.

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Conditions of Use and Important Information: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

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