cinnamon for hormone imbalance

When it comes to the concept of “food as medicine,” you can’t go wrong with using cinnamon for hormone imbalance.

Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, cinnamon can improve hormonal imbalance by supporting weight loss, easing PMS, improving PCOS and a whole lot more!

So, to help you understand how cinnamon can help you reach your goals, we’re going to look at the:

  • benefits of cinnamon for hormone health.
  • ways in which you can add cinnamon to your diet.
  • some cinnamon-based that you can use.

CINNAMON BENEFITS FOR HORMONES

1. Lowers Inflammation

If you’re a regular reader of this blog then you’ve heard me say this repeatedly: inflammation is the underlying cause of hormonal imbalances.

It’s not surprising given that inflammation is triggered by stress (chemical, physical or emotional stress).

And stress happens to be the one thing that throws the body off its natural balance. Therefore, stress also throws your hormones off balance.

Thankfully, cinnamon is a spice that is known to be very effective at fighting inflammation.

So, by adding cinnamon to your hormone balance diet, you’re not just using a temporary or band-aid solution.

Rather, cinnamon allows you to address the root cause of your symptoms so that you heal holistically.

2. May Improve PCOS Symptoms

cinnamon benefits for hormones

According to some scientific papers, PCOS is associated with “low-grade systemic inflammation.”

And thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, cinnamon shows promise as a natural remedy for PCOS.

In fact, this study at Columbia University showed that 6 months of cinnamon supplementation led to more menstrual cycles (compared to the women in the placebo group).

Meanwhile, another study also showed that PCOS patients who took cinnamon supplements for 8 weeks had “significant reductions in insulin resistance” (source).

For more on the benefits of cinnamon and other herbs for PCOS, be sure to read this post on natural alternatives to clomid as well as this simply guide to using cinnamon for pcos.

3. May Regulate Blood Sugar Levels

When you’re experiencing a lot of stress or inflammation, your body needs more energy.

And in order to provide your body with the energy it needs, your liver releases more glucose into your bloodstream (source).

In addition, when inflammation is high, your tissues also become less sensitive to insulin.

This combination of inflammation, high blood sugar and lowered insulin sensitivity, creates a vicious cycle that affects your:

  • Menstrual cycle
  • Sleep
  • Energy levels
  • Cognitive function
  • Weight and metabolism
  • Fertility
  • Thyroid health…

…just to name a few.

So, to break this inflammatory cycle, anti-inflammatory herbs – like cinnamon – may help.

By lowering the dial on inflammation, your body is able to rest, recover and re-balance itself.

4. Provides Relief from PMS Symptoms

If you tend to experience heavy periods, menstrual cramps, nausea or vomiting, during your cycle, then reach for some cinnamon.

Studies show that cinnamon is quite effective at relieving all of those symptoms, without worry of negative side effects.

In fact, 1000mg of cinnamon, taken during the first 3 days of the menstrual cycle has been shown to reduce the intensity of period pain (source).

5. Supports Gut Health

As I mentioned in a previous post about gut health and hormones, a healthy gut is an important aspect of hormone health.

After all, without a healthy gut, you’ll have a hard time making hormones or even, getting rid of excess hormones.

However, one thing that tends to disrupt gut function is overgrowth of the yeast, candida albicans.

And one major side effect of excess candida is that it creates an imbalance in your gut flora, and also contributes to leaky gut syndrome.

To counteract this, you can use cinnamon, which has been shown to fight off excess levels of candida (source).

6. Can Be Used as A Home Remedy for Acne

Since cinnamon is anti-inflammatory, it’s a great home remedy for inflammatory skin conditions like acne.

In addition, cinnamon is antibacterial and helps heal wounds, which makes it beneficial for eliminating pimples.

HOW TO USE CINNAMON FOR HORMONAL IMBALANCE

how to use cinnamon for hormonal imbalance

When it comes to using cinnamon for your hormones, you really don’t need a lot. In fact, as we saw earlier in this article, some studies used just 1000mg (½ tsp) to produce positive results!

Overall, just ½ tsp to 1 tsp (2 to 4 grams) of cinnamon per day is considered safe (1, 2).

As for which type of cinnamon to use, there are types available on the market: cassia cinnamon (aka Saigon or Vietnamese cinnamon) and ceylon cinnamon.

For medicinal purposes, it’s generally best to use ceylon cinnamon.

This is mainly because cinnamon contains a compound called coumarin which can be toxic in large doses.

And cassia cinnamon happens to have a lot more coumarin than ceylon. So, for medicinal purposes, ceylon is safer.

However, you can still use cassia as long as you stick to smaller doses that hover around 1/2 tsp (source).

Now, as for how to actually consume cinnamon, you can add it to:

  • Smoothies
  • Oatmeal
  • Puddings
  • Warm glass of lemon and honey water
  • Baked pears or apples

Lastly, also keep in mind that cinnamon can interact with various drugs, including blood-sugar lowering drugs, blood thinners and others.

So, please double check with your doctor before using cinnamon supplements together with prescription drugs.

As with all things in life, balance is key.

It’s best to simply add cinnamon to your hormone-friendly diet (along with other anti-inflammatory foods).

HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON TEA FOR HORMONAL IMBALANCE

Here’s a very basic cinnamon tea recipe that will help you with your hormones.

Ingredients

1 cinnamon stick (approximately 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder)

1 cup boiling water

How to Make

  1. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan.
  2. Add in the cinnamon stick to the saucepan, cover and let it steep for up to 10 minutes.
  3. Remove the stick and enjoy!
  4. Sweeten with raw honey if desired.

NOTE: To boost the tea’s anti-inflammatory properties (and play up the flavor), you can add:

  • Fresh ginger (add together with the cinnamon)
  • Turmeric (add together with the cinnamon)
  • Cardamom (add together with the cinnamon)
  • Juice from 1/4 to 1/2 lemon (after steeping cinnamon)

And for a stronger anti-inflammatory boost, try making your own golden milk (aka turmeric milk) with turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and coconut oil.

Golden milk is a soothing, hormone-friendly drink that is easy to make. Get the full recipe in this post on how to use turmeric for hormonal imbalance.

cinnamon for hormone imbalance pin with powder and sticks

RELATED QUESTIONS

What can I drink to balance my hormones?

Drinks like kombucha (great for gut health), smoothies (full of nutrients and detox-friendly ingredients) and even salt water (helpful for the adrenals) are all great for supporting your hormones.

To learn more about these and other drinks, plus how to use them, read this post on drinks to hormone balance.

What herbs help with hormone imbalance?

Vitex, st john’s wort, dandelion and red clover are just a few of the herbs that can be used for various hormonal imbalances.

For more details on these herbs and which symptoms they can improve, I suggest reading this post on hormone-balancing herbs.

Can exercise regulate hormones?

Exercise can do a lot for regulating your hormones because it helps you blow off steam and lower stress. 

Less stress means you won’t be producing lots of unnecessary cortisol.

And as cortisol levels improve, so does insulin, estrogen, progesterone, thyroid hormones and many others!

The key with exercise is to not overexert yourself. Over exertion creates more stress and you’ll have a harder time recovering from your workout, which makes you feel worse.

What hormone causes weight gain?

There are several hormones that affect weight gain. These include leptin, ghrelin, cortisol, insulin and estrogen.

You can get the full scoop on how these hormones impact your weight and how to balance them in this article on weight gain caused by hormones.

CONCLUSION

Cinnamon is a common household that packs a serious punch when it comes to regulating your hormones.

And as we’ve seen from this post, you can get results with as little as just 1/2 tsp.

So, go ahead…make yourself a warming cinnamon tea and savor the healing benefits!


Related Posts:

Top 5 Hormone Balancing Foods To Eat Daily

Supplements for Female Hormonal Imbalance

How To Use Turmeric For Hormonal Imbalance Relief

How to Use Ginger for PCOS