Cinnamon Benefits Sexually: why cinnamon is an aphrodisiac

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There’s a reason men once risked their lives to acquire the spices of the Far East. Cinnamon is a spice held in the highest regard for its powerful medicinal qualities as well as its aphrodisiac power.

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Cinnamon is an exotic spice with surprising benefits

It is a spice used in Asia to guard against colds. And it is used around the world as a flavoring for both sweet and savory dishes. It’s also used as an aromatherapy agent for relaxation. But some of the most compelling evidence for cinnamon’s nutritional use is cinnamon benefits sexually. Here’s a look at what cinnamon can do for your sex life.

Cinnamon benefits sexually for women & men

Today, cinnamon is best known as a popular baking spice. But at one time, cinnamon was more valuable than gold because of its curative properties. Kind of amazing considering this spice is simply the bark of a tree!

It can make you more kissable

There’s an interesting way of using cinnamon to improve your odds in the bedroom. This spice is recognized for its ability to reduce unwanted odors, like bad breath. In addition, according to Science News, it can kill nasty bacteria in your mouth.

Doesn’t that make the prospect of kissing a cinnamon eater a whole lot more inviting?

Cinnamon can lower blood sugar

One of the more surprising benefits of cinnamon is that it is recognized for its ability to lower blood sugar levels. How? It appears that cinnamon interferes with digestive enzymes in a way that decreases the amount of glucose entering your bloodstream after a meal. In addition, it appears that a compound in cinnamon can mimic insulin, although it seems to act more slowly than real insulin.

Now how is this going to improve your sex life? Poorly controlled blood sugar can damage blood vessels and nerves and eventually will diminish sexual response.

Improves blood flow

Research suggests that cinnamon can lower blood pressure naturally. While it is not clear exactly how it works, animal studies indicate that cinnamon can relax and dilate blood vessels.

How does this benefit of cinnamon help you sexually?

Sexual arousal and sexual performance rely on your blood vessels dilating. This allows blood to flow to the erogenous zones. High blood pressure can cause arteries to harden and narrow, preventing the kind of blood flow you want and need for sexual satisfaction. High blood pressure is associated with low libido and the inability to climax in women. But it causes even greater problems for men, including the inability to perform sexually.

But dilating blood vessels isn’t the only exciting news about cinnamon and men’s sexual health.

Cinnamon benefits for men

While cinnamon is considered an aphrodisiac for both men and women, there is one way in which it may specifically help men with a healthy sexual boost.

Although it is low in calories, this spice is a source of manganese, a nutrient essential to the health of your love life. Here’s some more great information on why the manganese in cinnamon might benefit a man’s sex life. It also contains trace amounts of potassium and zinc, two more nutrients beneficial to men’s sexual health.

Aphrodisiac uses

I’ve covered the ways in which cinnamon benefits your sexual health. But there are stills some aphrodisiac properties of cinnamon to cover.

Cinnamon is among the spices considered useful for producing “heat” within the body. (This group also includes nutmeg and cardamom.) These warming spices are all measured to increase appetite, both physical and sexual.

In fact, legend has it that a drop of cinnamon oil rubbed onto the genitals is surprisingly useful in producing powerful sexual stimulation. But if you choose to experiment with this application, please use the oil sparingly. Because as I said, the warming spices produce heat! If you have any allergies, check with a doctor before applying cinnamon oil to your body.

Benefit to overall health & wellness

There are so many reported health benefits of cinnamon beyond what it can do to support sexual health. So if you’re wondering, “What is cinnamon good for?” beyond potentially improving sexual performance, here’s a look at some other great benefits cinnamon may offer.

You may have heard that cinnamon can boost metabolism. There has been some clinical research into the potential of cinnamon oil to trigger weight loss. But the evidence remains inconclusive.

That’s one to keep in mind. But there are other proven benefits of cinnamon to appreciate. More study-based cinnamon health benefits include anti-aging potential thanks to cinnamon’s high antioxidant content. In fact, in a head-to-head match with 25 other spices, including superfood garlic, cinnamon came out on top when it comes to antioxidant power. This means that this popular baking spice could just be the best defense in the fight against aging.

What does cinnamon and honey do?

The combination of cinnamon and honey is not only tasty but it’s been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries as a healing tonic. The combination of honey with cinnamon is believed to treat everything from heart disease to the common cold.

Interestingly both ingredients are proven to lower the risk of heart disease. Honey is clinically proven to lower LDL cholesterol. And cinnamon consumption is associated with increasing HDL (good) cholesterol. That being said, there is little to support the idea that serving the two together in a drink will give you greater heart health benefits than consuming either one alone.

There is also a theory that drinking a honey and cinnamon tonic will reverse the signs of aging. Like cinnamon, honey is packed with antioxidants. So there’s no reason to believe you aren’t doubling your anti-aging power by consuming the two together and reaping the benefits of cinnamon and honey at the same time.

Check out some of the benefits you can get from honey

As for whether honey plus cinnamon can cure a common cold, I can’t find any scientific evidence to support that claim. But there is some evidence that the combination of honey and cinnamon can aid in wound healing.

How to make sure what you’re buying is true cinnamon

There is one thing you should know about cinnamon: how to identify it. The cinnamon powder readily available in your neighborhood grocery store is probably not “true” cinnamon. The most common variety of spice sold today is Cassia, aka Chinese cinnamon. (“True cinnamon” is also called Ceylon cinnamon.)

Now, it is believed that both varieties have healing properties. So as far as aphrodisiacs go, Cassia should give you results. (Note that overall, the nutritional makeup of the two kinds of cinnamon is slightly different. However, their impacts appear to be roughly the same.)

Where they differ is flavor. Cassia has the flavor you probably know as cinnamon. It is robust and slightly spicy. (Everything sold in a jar at the grocery store labeled ground cinnamon is actually Cassia.) Ceylon has a similar flavor yet this spice is far more delicate and more subtle. Some professional chefs insist on Ceylon for certain recipes.

Healthline has an excellent explanation if you’re looking to dive deeper into the differences between Cassia and Ceylon cinnamon.

Cooking & recipes

If you’re ready to start boosting your cinnamon intake, there are so many great cinnamons uses from honey and cinnamon tea to an aromatherapy mood enhancer. But my recommendation is to increase your cinnamon intake by cooking with this warming spice. Here are some of my favorite recipes featuring cinnamon:

Overnight Steel Cut Oats
Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie
Pumpkin Cake with Bacon Streusel
Old Fashioned Gingersnaps
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Blackened Shrimp with Pomegranate and Kumquat Salad
Salsa Agrodolce
Vegetarian White Bean Chili with Chocolate
Coffee With a Kick – a spiced coffee cocktail
Hot Maple Cider Cocktail

Discover more of the world’s greatest aphrodisiac foods

Cinnamon benefits sexually graphic

This article was written in 2010 and most recently updated in December 2022.

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Amy Reiley

An award-winning author of five aphrodisiac cookbooks with an MA in Gastronomy, Amy Reiley has spent the past 18 years studying the history and science behind aphrodisiac foods. She speaks on aphrodisiacs globally and has brought her knowledge of aphrodisiac foods to national television shows including The Today Show and CBS Early Show. Amy is also a freelance food, wine and health writer and wine competition judge. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Variety to The Daily Meal. She is a former wine editor for Gayot.com and wine & spirits editor of Las Vegas magazine. Most importantly, Amy is a mother to 2 human children and 1 standard poodle.

Cinnamon is an exotic spice with surprising benefits