Cassia Oil: Uses & Benefits

Do you suffer all winter with cold after cold?

Are your sluggish metabolism and constant hunger cravings thwarting you from achieving your new year’s resolution?

Do you want your house to smell deliciously welcoming without the hassle of making an actual pie?

On sight, Cassia can easily be confused with its more media savvy-cousin, cinnamon.

Cinnamon gets plenty of exposure as a spice and flavoring (1), but Cassia has its own set of particular benefits. It has a warm aroma that is engagingly fragrant and sweeter than cinnamon.

In addition, it’s calming properties have been noted for hundreds of years and it is one of the fundamental herbs in Chinese medicine  (2).

In fact, many times when you think you are buying cinnamon at the store you are probably actually buying Cassia.

When ground up, this woody bark is often used to flavor both sweet and savory dishes. In the west it is most often associated with desserts, but in the east it is a main component in various types of curry dishes.

It’s ability to aid digestion and support the immune system give it multiple important uses.

What is Cassia Essential Oil?

Principal Benefits

• Can promote improved immune system function
• Aids digestion, reduces hunger cravings and bolsters your metabolism
• When diffused the scent is warming and relaxing. When combined with Clove and Ginger during the holiday season it evokes the smell of your grandmother’s house filled with treats.

How To Use Cassia Oil

This essential oil can be used in many different ways. The oil itself packs a punch, so not too much is necessary to achieve the desired benefits of use.

Directions for Use:

• Aromatic: Diffuse it on its own for a spicy aroma that can improve your mood and soothe frayed nerves. Combine with Clove and Ginger to help create a festive atmosphere.
• Topical: Combine a drop or two with a carrier oil for a warming massage that helps relieve achy joints and sore muscles.
• Internal: Take it directly in a veggie capsule, combine it with lemon in a glass of water, or use it in place of cinnamon in recipes.

When diffusing alone use three to four drops. Reduce this to one to two drops when used in a combination. When taken internally 1 to 2 drops generally provide the maximum benefit.

Cassia Essential Oil Health Benefits

• It supports immune system function. Your immune system is constantly under attack from all of those people at the office who fail to properly wash their hands. It boosts your immune system, encouraging it to do its job more effectively. This could mean a reduction in the sniffles for you.
• It works with your metabolism. Sometimes you may feel like your metabolism does not work with you, but it can encourage it to shape up. In addition, mix it with Lemon water and it can stimulate digestion, as well as, stave off feelings of hunger.
• In a massage with it is warming and uplifting, the woody, spiciness,  creates a sense of well-being. It also assists with relieving any achy joints or sore muscles.
• When diffused, it can lift your mood and calm your spirits. Both on its own and when diffused with other scents such as Clove, Ginger, or White Fir, it creates a homey environment, reminiscent of baking and happy holidays.
• It can be used in cooking. It can be used as a replacement for Cinnamon in baked goods, such as pies or breads. A drop or two can also be added to tea, coffee or hot chocolate to create a spicy, festive drink.
• It can make you feel good and it can make you feel GOOD. When diffused it has been shown to produce feelings of arousal.
• And on top of that it cleans too. This essential oil has substantial cleansing properties and when combined with water and white vinegar can make an aromatic and effective surface cleaner.

Cassia – Cinnamomum cassia

Cassia Essential Oil Research

Cassia has a long history as both a medicine and a spice (3).

Its functions are so well respected that it is one of the fifty essential herbs in Chinese medicine. In fact, much of the “cinnamon” available at the grocery store is actually Cassia.

When taken internally, it is known that it has a beneficial effect on digestion and metabolism and some studies have shown it to positively impact blood sugar levels (4).

In addition, when used as a cleaning agent it has been demonstrated to be effective in killing certain types of bacteria that can cause food borne illnesses (5).

At this time, however, these claims have not been approved by the FDA.

Cassia Essential Oil Nutrition

Long-term use Cassia Oil of can bring many benefits. Ongoing aromatic use can help keep your spirit calm and uplifted.

Internal use of it can help support your immune system at any time of year, but it can be especially beneficial to give yourself that added boost during the long winter months.

A regime of this oil can assist your body’s natural defenses much more effectively than a few isolated doses might.

In addition, to reap the most benefit from its metabolic properties it is critical to invest in a long term plan.

While each glass of it mixed with Lemon water can help alleviate hunger cravings when they arise, it is equally important to maintain the health of the digestive system and support your metabolism.

In conjunction with this, extended use is substantially more effective when you are trying to keep your blood sugar levels within the normal range (6).

Cassia Essential Oil Safety

In general it is safe to use aromatically, internally and topically. Because of its particular properties, however, skin sensitivity is possible.

When using topically, always blend it with a carrier oil and before your first use test it in a small area to determine sensitivity.

In addition, keep it away from your eyes, nose and other sensitive areas. As a precaution, it is also recommended to keep this and all other essential oils out of the reach of children.

If you are pregnant or nursing, you should always consult your doctor before beginning any type of new regimen.

Cassia Essential Oil Substitutes

This product can be a boon to your personal care system. Because it offers a boost to your immune system, it can make a good alternative to pricey teas and lozenges that allege they do the same.

In addition, a healthy immune system reduces your need for boxes and boxes of tissues! It’s ability to encourage a healthy metabolism could mean less reliance on other specialty diet products that may also work, but offer only one benefit instead of the multiple benefits that it does.

It can also replace the cinnamon in your spice cabinet.

Cassia Essential Oil Blends Well With

This blends well in the diffuser with many other essential oils. When combined with Clove and Ginger it creates a cozy scent that is reminiscent of baking and happy holidays.

Both Clove and Ginger also have strong antioxidant properties (7, 8, 9).

Another possible winter time option is to combine it with White Fir. This aroma is warming and invigorating. In addition, White Fir has been shown to reduce stress when dealing with difficult situations.

The soothing properties of the Cassia and the stress reducing properties of the White Fir complement each other and would make a festive backdrop for your family holiday get together, with the added bonus of assisting in keeping Aunt Esther and cousin-in-law Fred’s moods friendly and calm.

When it is taken internally, it benefits from being combined with Lemon oil. It works to support your metabolism while the Lemon cleanses the body naturally and aids in digestion.

Conclusion

It is time for cinnamon to share the limelight with its lesser known relative cassia. This essential oil offers multitudes of benefits. It compliments your immune system and supports healthy immune function.

It also reinforces metabolic functions and when taken internally can help postpone hunger cravings. In addition, it aids in digestion and supports your body’s efforts to stay properly hydrated.

When diffused, it produces a delicious aroma that reminds many of happy holidays and celebrations.  It is also a great flavoring for pies, cookies and breads and when you are done baking it can even clean your counter!

Disclaimer

Although cassia has been used medically for many years in other countries it is just beginning to be the subject of serious studies. These studies hope to prove its effectiveness. While they have shown Cassia can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels and that it has important antibacterial properties these have been small samples.

It needs to be researched on a much larger scale to ensure scientific results.  Until this happens, this essential oil has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.