Plain-English definitions of the terms you'll see on our site, on supplement labels and in cinnamon research. Each term has its own anchor link so you can share it.
Types of cinnamon
- Ceylon cinnamon
- Cinnamon from the tree Cinnamomum zeylanicum (also called Cinnamomum verum), native to Sri Lanka, formerly named Ceylon. Known as "true cinnamon," it has thin, papery bark, a delicate flavor and negligible coumarin. It is the only cinnamon used in Stabilicinn.
- True cinnamon
- Another name for Ceylon cinnamon. The word "verum" in its botanical name means "true" in Latin.
- Cinnamomum zeylanicum / Cinnamomum verum
- The two botanical names for the Ceylon cinnamon tree. Both refer to the same species.
- Cassia cinnamon
- The most common cinnamon sold worldwide, from Cinnamomum cassia (also called Cinnamomum aromaticum), grown mainly in China and Southeast Asia. It has thick, hard bark, a strong flavor and much higher coumarin content than Ceylon cinnamon. Most cinnamon sold in the USA and Canada is Cassia.
- Saigon cinnamon
- A type of Cassia from Vietnam (Cinnamomum loureiroi), prized for its intense flavor. Like other Cassia varieties, it is not Ceylon cinnamon.
- Indonesian (Korintje) cinnamon
- A Cassia-type cinnamon from Indonesia (Cinnamomum burmannii), widely used in baking and spice blends.
- Canella
- Bark from Canella winterana, a Caribbean tree unrelated to true cinnamon, sometimes sold under the name "cinnamon."
Harvest and production
- Bark / inner bark
- Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of the cinnamon tree. For Ceylon cinnamon, the outer bark is scraped away and the thin inner layer is peeled off by hand.
- Quill
- A cinnamon stick: inner bark rolled into a long tube while still moist, then dried. Ceylon quills are made of many thin layers rolled together, like a cigar. Sri Lankan quills can be rolled to about 42 inches long before they are cut.
- Quillings
- Pieces of Ceylon cinnamon bark shorter than about 4 inches, often packed inside quills or sold separately.
- Featherings
- Inner bark from twisted shoots and twigs that can't be rolled into quills.
- Chips
- Small, rough pieces of cinnamon bark, the lowest grade, often used for grinding or distillation.
- Coppicing
- A sustainable harvest method in which a tree is cut back near the base so that many new shoots grow. Ceylon cinnamon trees are coppiced about two years after planting, and the shoots are harvested repeatedly over many years.
- Cinnamon peeler
- A skilled worker who scrapes, peels and rolls cinnamon bark by hand. In Sri Lanka, the craft is passed down from generation to generation.
- Pure Ceylon Cinnamon seal
- A certification mark from Sri Lanka's government identifying genuine Sri Lankan Ceylon cinnamon. Stabilicinn buys only raw cinnamon with this certification.
- Southern Province (Sri Lanka)
- The region of Sri Lanka where Ceylon cinnamon thrives and where cinnamon is the main livelihood of many households.
- Extract
- A concentrated preparation made by drawing compounds out of a plant material, here cinnamon bark, using a solvent. Stabilicinn uses filtered water.
- Liquid extract
- An extract delivered as a liquid rather than dried into powder or capsules.
- Essential oil
- A concentrated, volatile oil distilled from a plant. Cinnamon bark oil and cinnamon leaf oil are different products with different main compounds. Stabilicinn is a water extract, not an essential oil.
- Batch / lot
- A single production run made at one time. Each Stabilicinn batch is made in a 100-gallon tank. The lot number on a bottle identifies its batch.
Compounds in cinnamon
- Coumarin
- A naturally occurring compound found in Cassia cinnamon, tonka beans and some other plants. Coumarin is a blood thinner and potential liver toxin under long-term use in high concentration. Ceylon cinnamon contains negligible amounts.
- Tolerable daily intake (TDI)
- An estimate, set by food safety authorities, of how much of a substance a person can consume every day over a lifetime without appreciable risk. The European Food Safety Authority's TDI for coumarin is 0.1 mg per kilogram of body weight per day.
- Cinnamaldehyde
- The main compound that gives cinnamon bark its flavor and aroma.
- Eugenol
- An aromatic compound that is the main component of cinnamon leaf oil (and of clove oil).
- Camphor
- An aromatic compound that is the main component of oil from cinnamon tree roots.
- Polyphenols
- A large family of naturally occurring plant compounds, found in foods such as tea, cocoa, berries and spices. Cinnamon is rich in polyphenols.
- Procyanidins / proanthocyanidins
- A class of polyphenols made of linked flavonoid units. Cinnamon contains distinctive "type-A" procyanidins that researchers have studied extensively.
- Type-A polymers
- Procyanidins whose units are joined by two bonds instead of one. Cinnamon is one of the few common foods rich in them.
- Flavonoids
- A major group of polyphenols responsible for many plant colors and flavors.
- Antioxidant
- A substance that can slow oxidation, a chemical reaction that produces unstable molecules called free radicals. Many polyphenols act as antioxidants in laboratory tests.
- Volatile compounds
- Compounds that evaporate easily and give spices their aroma.
Absorption and format
- Bioavailability
- The proportion of a consumed substance that enters the bloodstream and becomes available for the body to use.
- Absorption
- The process by which compounds pass from the digestive tract into the bloodstream.
- Active form
- A compound in a state the body can absorb directly, without first being broken down. Stabilicinn's bark is liquified and filtered into an active form before you drink it.
- Capsule
- A gelatin or plant-based shell filled with powder or liquid. Powdered cinnamon in capsules must be broken down in several steps before its polyphenols are released.
- Serving size
- The amount of product per use stated on the label. For Stabilicinn, 1 fl oz (30 mL).
Supplements and labels
- Dietary supplement
- A product taken by mouth that contains a "dietary ingredient," such as a vitamin, mineral, herb or botanical, and is intended to supplement the diet. In the USA, supplements are regulated as foods, not drugs.
- DSHEA
- The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, the U.S. law that defines dietary supplements and sets the rules for how they can be labeled and marketed.
- Structure/function claim
- A statement describing how a nutrient or dietary ingredient supports normal structure or function in the body. Supplement makers may make these claims if they are truthful and carry the FDA disclaimer. Supplements may not claim to treat, cure or prevent disease.
- FDA disclaimer
- The statement required next to structure/function claims: "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."
- Supplement Facts panel
- The label box on a dietary supplement listing serving size, servings per container and the amount of each dietary ingredient.
- Superfood
- According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a nutrient-rich food considered especially beneficial for health and well-being. The term is a popular description, not a regulatory category.
- Kosher certification
- Confirmation by a kosher certification agency that a product's ingredients and manufacturing meet Jewish dietary law.
- Non-GMO
- Made without genetically modified organisms.
- Vegan
- Contains no ingredients produced by or derived from animals.
- MAP (Minimum Advertised Price)
- The lowest price at which resellers may advertise a product. Stabilicinn's MAP policy is published on our MAP page.
- Reservation (pre-order)
- An order placed before a batch is made. With Stabilicinn, you pay $0 to reserve and are charged only when the batch goal is reached. How it works.