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Dietary supplement

Cinnamon Bark 500 mg Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by GNC Herbal Plus

Capsule Category: Botanical
Most serious interaction: Moderate
The interaction bottom line Most serious interaction: Moderate

Cinnamon Bark 500 mg is a dietary supplement by GNC Herbal Plus with 1 active ingredient. Its ingredients are commonly taken for blood sugar support, digestive upset, antioxidant support.Based on those ingredients, 442 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are Cinnamon bark powder. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

HelloPharmacist Scorecard of Cinnamon Bark 500 mg by GNC Herbal Plus

Our pharmacy team’s full take, with four database checks built into the cards below — a summary of what is known, not a grade of the product itself.

From our pharmacy team — supplement deep dive

What’s inside

Full disclosure
Ingredient Transparency · database check
Full

Every active ingredient lists its own amount on the label.

Why this rating?
  • The label discloses an exact amount for 1 of its 1 active ingredient.
  • No proprietary blends here — you can verify the dose of every single component.

This product contains one active ingredient: cinnamon bark powder, 500 mg per capsule. The capsule itself is made of gelatin, cellulose, stearic acid, and silica—all inactive ingredients that hold the powder together and help your body absorb it.

Does it work?

Couldn't assess
Evidence for Intended Use · database check
By FDA rules, dietary supplements can’t claim to treat, cure, or prevent disease — so labels speak in careful marketing language. We discern each product’s intended use from its name, label claims, and label statements, then grade the clinical evidence for that use. How these ratings are computed
Not assessable

This is a single-ingredient Cassia Cinnamon product and its label doesn't state a use — see Cassia Cinnamon's own graded uses on its monograph.

Why this rating?
  • We looked at the product name, claims, and label statements and couldn't find a stated purpose to grade.

The evidence we hold doesn't establish that cinnamon bark works reliably for any of the conditions it's marketed for—amenorrhea, angina, common cold, diabetes, diarrhea, or high cholesterol (dyslipidemia) all show insufficient reliable evidence to rate its effectiveness. That doesn't mean it won't help you, just that the data we have isn't solid enough to say either way.

The evidence, ingredient by ingredient Cassia Cinnamon

How safe is it?

Well-documented data
Safety Information · database check
Well characterized

Adverse-effect, pregnancy, and general safety data are on file for most of these ingredients.

Why this rating?
  • We hold adverse-effect (side-effect) data for 1 of the 1 matched ingredient.
  • Pregnancy & breastfeeding safety ratings cover 1 of 1.
  • General safety write-ups exist for 1 of 1.
  • Remember: this measures how much safety information exists. Thin data is not the same as being safe.

Cinnamon bark is generally well tolerated in the amounts you'd find in food. However, supplement doses—especially high ones taken for weeks or months—raise concern because of the coumarin content and the risk of liver damage over time.

In clinical trials, one person developed a rash on 1 gram daily, and in a separate case, someone with a cinnamon allergy experienced eyelid swelling that cleared five days after stopping cinnamon-containing foods. The safety data in pregnancy and breastfeeding isn't complete, so food amounts are likely fine, but medicinal supplement doses are best avoided until more is known.

Side effects, ingredient by ingredient Cassia Cinnamon

Meds to double-check

Moderate interaction found
Known Interaction Concern · database check
Moderate identified

The most serious documented interaction for these ingredients is Moderate. Check your medications for a personalized result.

Why this rating?
  • 1 of the 1 matched ingredient can interact with medications — Cassia Cinnamon.
  • The most serious interaction on file is rated Moderate.
  • Some involve high-stakes drug classes: diabetes medications.
  • For scale: 443 individual medications appear in the full list. A big number alone doesn't make a product dangerous — what matters is whether YOUR medication is on it, so run yours through the interaction checker on this page.

Before you take this cinnamon supplement, double-check with your pharmacist if you're on diabetes medications (cinnamon can lower blood sugar further and may require a dose adjustment) or drugs that stress the liver. Large doses over time add concern to liver strain.

Check your own medication Run your meds through the checker above

The bottom line

Scorecard at a glanceFully disclosed formula with no assessable stated purpose. Moderate medication interactions have been identified, and safety information is well characterized.

This single-ingredient supplement may appeal to you if you're exploring natural support for blood sugar or cholesterol, but the evidence for effectiveness isn't established yet. If you take diabetes medication or drugs that affect your liver, check with us before starting—cinnamon can interact with both.

Talk to your pharmacist about your medications and whether this product fits your situation.

Educational only — not medical advice; always confirm with your pharmacist. Our editorial policy · How we use AI

Assessment coverage: 1 of 1 active ingredient matched to our full ingredient reviews (monographs). Based on the product label dated Jul 25, 2017.

This Scorecard evaluates available label information, ingredient evidence, and known medication-safety considerations. It does not independently verify product identity, purity, potency, contamination, or manufacturing quality. How these ratings are computed

At a glance

General information

Key facts about Cinnamon Bark 500 mg, straight from the product label.

Brand GNC Herbal Plus
Barcode (UPC) 048107129019
Net contents 100 Capsule(s)
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD Jul 25, 2017
DSLD ID 74689
Product type Botanical
Supplement form Capsule
Dietary claims / uses All Other, Structure/Function
Intended target group(s) Adult (18 - 50 Years), Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free
From the label
Everything in this section is reproduced from the manufacturer’s own product label — it’s the label speaking, not HelloPharmacist. We show it so you can see exactly what the maker states; we don’t verify or endorse those statements.

Supplement Facts

The label details for Cinnamon Bark 500 mg by GNC Herbal Plus, sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Supplement Facts

Daily Value (DV) Target Group(s):
Adults and children 4 or more years of age
Minimum serving Sizes:
1 Capsule(s)
Maximum serving Sizes:
1 Capsule(s)
UPC/BARCODE
048107129019
IngredientAmount% DV
Cinnamon bark powder500 mg--

Other ingredients: Gelatin, Cellulose, Stearic Acid, Silica

Tap any ingredient to jump to its full detail below.

Label statements
These statements are the manufacturer’s wording, reproduced from the product label — the label is saying it, not HelloPharmacist. We don’t verify or endorse them.
Precautions

Keep out of reach of children.

Warning: Consult your physician prior to using this product if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.

Discontinue use two weeks prior to surgery.

Storage

Store in a cool, dry place.

FDA Statement of Identity

Herbal Supplement

General Statements

Traditional Ayurvedic herb

Whole herb

Material verified by TLC. Conforms to USP <2091> for weight. Meets USP <2040> disintegration.

General

CODE 198532 GRG

Suggested/Recommended/Usage/Directions

Directions: As a dietary supplement, take one capsule daily.

Formulation

No sugar, no artificial colors, no artificial flavors, sodium free, no wheat, gluten, no corn, no soy, no dairy, yeast free.

See for yourself

Cinnamon Bark 500 mg by GNC Herbal Plus label

The label scan from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Tap to enlarge.

What’s inside

The Ingredients in Cinnamon Bark 500 mg by GNC Herbal Plus

This is the 1 active ingredient this product is made of. Select it to open its full monograph.

Serving size1 Capsule(s) Dosage formCapsule Amounts shown are per serving.

Cinnamon bark powder

Interacts with
442 drugs
500 mg per serving Form: Cinnamomum burmannii, Cinnamomum cassia

Cassia cinnamon is the common, inexpensive cinnamon used in cooking, and it is also taken as a supplement, most often for blood sugar support. The evi...

Cinnamon bark powder monograph & interactions

Other (inactive) ingredients: Gelatin, Cellulose, Stearic Acid, Silica. These complete the product’s ingredient list but are not active constituents.

Interaction report

Cinnamon Bark 500 mg by GNC Herbal Plus Drug Interactions

Want to check YOUR meds against Cinnamon Bark 500 mg?

Ask about interactions with your drugs in plain English — “Can I take it with lisinopril?” — and we find you the answer in seconds, ingredient by ingredient.

Go to the checker
442Drugs
442 Moderate

Ingredients driving the most interactions

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in Cinnamon Bark 500 mg with known interactions, here are the types of medications it can affect. Open any type for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

Cinnamon bark powder2 drug types · 442 drugs

Antidiabetes Drugs

Theoretically, cassia cinnamon may have additive effects with antidiabetes drugs.
Cassia cinnamon may lower blood glucose levels, and have additive effects in patients treated with antidiabetic agents. Dose adjustments to diabetes medications might be necessary.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B
Hepatotoxic Drugs

Theoretically, large doses of cassia cinnamon might cause additive effects when used with hepatotoxic drugs.
There is some concern that ingesting large amounts of cassia cinnamon for an extended duration might cause hepatotoxicity in some people. Cassia cinnamon contains coumarin, which can cause hepatotoxicity in animal models. In humans, very high doses of coumarin from 50-7000 mg/day can result in hepatotoxicity that resolves when coumarin use is discontinued. Lower amounts might also cause liver problems in sensitive people, such as those with liver disease or those taking potentially hepatotoxic agents.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
The maker

Brand information

Manufacturer and brand details for Cinnamon Bark 500 mg, from the product label.

GNC Herbal Plus

See all GNC Herbal Plus products
Name
General Nutrition Corporation
City
Pittsburgh
State
PA
ZipCode
15222
Phone Number
1-888-462-2548
Web Address
www.gnc.com
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Cinnamon Bark 500 mg by GNC Herbal Plus: Common Questions

Does Cinnamon Bark 500 mg by GNC Herbal Plus interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, Cinnamon Bark 500 mg has a known interaction with 442 medications. Use the checker to see how it interacts with a specific drug.
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
Cinnamon Bark 500 mg contains a single active ingredient, and that one ingredient can interact with many different medications on its own. We check it against each medication and show the mechanism responsible.
Where does this information come from?
The product label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD); the interaction data is built on the Natural Medicines database and reviewed by HelloPharmacist pharmacists.
Can I take this if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding?
Food amounts of cinnamon are likely safe, but the safety data for medicinal supplement doses in pregnancy and breastfeeding isn't complete. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for personalized advice before starting.
What side effects might I get?
In clinical trials, side effects were rare. One person developed a rash at 1 gram daily, and if you have a cinnamon allergy, you might get skin swelling that shows up as eyelid puffiness. The main concern with long-term high doses is potential liver stress from the coumarin content.
How much coumarin is in this product?
The product facts don't specify the exact coumarin content in this 500 mg dose. The concern about liver harm comes mainly from very high doses—50 to 7,000 mg of coumarin daily—taken for extended periods, so contact the brand or your pharmacist if you want to know the coumarin level in this specific product.
Will this help my blood sugar or cholesterol?
We don't have reliable evidence that cinnamon bark works for diabetes or high cholesterol. Cassia cinnamon may lower blood sugar somewhat, which is why combining it with diabetes drugs needs your doctor's attention, but we can't say it's effective as a treatment on its own.
Is this safe to take long-term?
Food amounts of cinnamon are safe long-term. Supplement doses—especially higher ones over weeks or months—carry a theoretical risk of liver stress because of coumarin content. If you want to take this regularly, mention it to your pharmacist so they can keep an eye on your liver health.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Not sure if Cinnamon Bark 500 mg is safe with your meds?

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Ask a pharmacist

Label information is sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database and reflects the product version on file; always read your actual product label. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Confirm with your pharmacist or doctor before combining supplements and medications.

Cinnamon Bark 500 mg label
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Cinnamon Bark 500 mg's label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database; the ingredient interaction data is from the Natural Medicines database, reviewed by our pharmacists.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

The 20 references behind this product’s interaction data

Every citation that drives the interaction findings for this product’s ingredients, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Open an ingredient to browse its citations — links open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

Cassia Cinnamon 20 references
  1. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=182
  2. Khan A, Safdar M, Ali Khan M, et al. Cinnamon improves glucose and lipids of people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2003;26:3215-8. PubMed
  3. De Benito V, Alzaga R. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from cassia (Chinese cinnamon) as a flavouring agent in coffee. Contact Dermatitis 1999;40:165. PubMed
  4. Drake TE, Maibach HI. Allergic contact dermatitis and stomatitis caused by a cinnamic aldehyde-flavored toothpaste. Arch Dermatol 1976;112:202-3.
  5. Press release. Cinnamon capsules to reduce blood sugar are medicinal products! Efficacy has not been scientifically proven - some products contain high levels of coumarin. Federal Institute of Risk Assessment (BfM), Germany, November 11, 2006. Available a
  6. Felter SP, Vassallo JD, Carlton BD, Daston GP. A safety assessment of coumarin taking into account species-specificity of toxicokinetics. Food Chem Toxicol 2006;44:462-75. PubMed
  7. Crawford P. Effectiveness of cinnamon for lowering hemoglobin A1C in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, controlled trial. J Am Board Fam Med 2009;22:507-12. PubMed
  8. Akilen, R., Tsiami, A., Devendra, D., and Robinson, N. Glycated haemoglobin and blood pressure-lowering effect of cinnamon in multi-ethnic Type 2 diabetic patients in the UK: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. Diabet.Med. 2010; PubMed
  9. Lu T, Sheng H Wu J Cheng Y Zhu J Chen Y. Cinnamon extract improves fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin level in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. Nutr Res. 2012;32(6):408-412. PubMed
  10. Choi, J., Lee, K. T., Ka, H., Jung, W. T., Jung, H. J., and Park, H. J. Constituents of the essential oil of the Cinnamomum cassia stem bark and the biological properties. Arch Pharm Res 2001;24(5):418-423.
  11. Altschuler JA, Casella SJ, MacKenzie TA, Curtis KM. The effect of cinnamon on A1C among adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2007;30(4):813-6. PubMed
  12. Stoecker BR, Zhan Z, Luo R, et al. Cinnamon extract lowers blood glucose in hyperglycemic subjects. FASEB J. 2010;22:722.1 (Abstract only). DOI
  13. Admani S, Hill H, Jacob SE. Cinnamon Sugar Scrub Dermatitis: "Natural" Is Not Always Best. Pediatr Dermatol. 2017;34(1):e42-e43. PubMed
  14. Isaac-Renton M, Li MK, Parsons LM. Cinnamon spice and everything not nice: many features of intraoral allergy to cinnamic aldehyde. Dermatitis. 2015;26(3):116-21. PubMed
  15. Vandersall A, Katta R. Eyelid dermatitis as a manifestation of systemic contact dermatitis to cinnamon. Dermatitis. 2015 Jul-Aug;26(4):189. PubMed
  16. Wickenberg J, Lindstedt S, Nilsson J, Hlebowicz J. Cassia cinnamon does not change the insulin sensitivity or the liver enzymes in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. Nutr J 2014 Sep 24;13:96. PubMed
  17. Brancheau D, Patel B, Zughaib M. Do cinnamon supplements cause acute hepatitis? Am J Case Rep 2015;16:250-4. PubMed
  18. Shekarchizadeh-Esfahani P, Heydarpour F, Izadi F, Jalili C. The effect of cinnamon supplementation on liver enzymes in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Complement Ther Med 2021;58:102699. PubMed
  19. Bernaola J, Valverde-Monge M, Otal-Buesa M, Cullen D, Heras-Mendaza F. Cinnamon allergic contact cheilitis. Contact Dermatitis 2023;88(5):418-419. PubMed
  20. Patel K, Howard M, Tate B. Cheilitis caused by allergic contact dermatitis to cinnamon in chai tea: A case report. Contact Dermatitis 2023;88(3):239-240. PubMed

See these in context on the Cassia Cinnamon monograph →

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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