• Sweet Wood on bottling Sri Lanka’s cinnamon legacy into the world’s first clinically proven shot

For centuries, Ceylon cinnamon has been one of Sri Lanka’s most treasured exports, fragrant, delicate and prized across global markets. Today, that same spice has been distilled into something entirely new: the world’s first clinically proven Ceylon cinnamon shot.

Sweet Wood, developed by SaaraLabs, presents Ceylon cinnamon not as a pantry staple but as a daily wellness ritual. Designed to support balanced blood sugar, metabolic health and sustained energy, the liquid extract is positioned as a science-backed, fast-absorbing alternative to capsules and powders. Crafted in Sri Lanka and perfected by an all-women team, Sweet Wood represents both innovation and inheritance.

“At its heart, Sweet Wood is about taking something deeply Sri Lankan and presenting it to the world in a way that is credible, modern and backed by research,” founder Ranmali Abeyasinghe said.

From spice exporters to science pioneers

The story begins with SDS Spices, a family business that dates back to 1931, when Viraj De Silva’s grandfather envisioned taking Sri Lankan spices to global markets. Nearly a century later, the third generation of the family continues that mission –  but with a scientific twist.

In 2015, Ranmali Abeyasinghe and Viraj De Silva founded SaaraLabs, the research and development arm of SDS Spices. The goal was ambitious: to transform traditional ingredients into clinically validated wellness products.

Ranmali, a Chartered Financial Analyst and former investment banker, described her shift from finance to nutraceutical innovation as deliberate. “I wanted to merge rigorous scientific research with Sri Lanka’s spice heritage,” she explained. “We knew cinnamon had promise, but we wanted evidence – not anecdotes.”

After years of trials and formulation work, Sweet Wood was launched in 2024 as the world’s first clinically proven Ceylon cinnamon extract shot, produced in-house at the family’s state-of-the-art factory in southern Sri Lanka.

The science behind the shot

At the centre of Sweet Wood’s positioning is research. The extract was studied in what the company describes as the largest randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial on Ceylon cinnamon to date.

Conducted over 12 weeks with 127 adults aged between 30 and 60, the study examined the extract’s impact on fasting blood glucose and cholesterol levels, particularly among individuals with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The findings indicated a significant reduction in fasting blood sugar levels among participants with T2DM, with no reported adverse effects.

The study was published in PLOS One, a high-impact, peer-reviewed scientific journal based in the United States.

“We were determined that this product would stand up to scrutiny,” Ranmali stated. “Publishing in an international journal was critical because we wanted global credibility. It was important to us that Sweet Wood be recognised as evidence-based.”

Ceylon cinnamon is rich in polyphenolic compounds, which are believed to play a role in metabolic regulation. Sweet Wood’s liquid format is designed for fast absorption, extracted through what the company calls its AquaFX™ clean-label process and enhanced with piperine to improve bioavailability.

Users are advised to take one shot a day, ideally 10–20 minutes before a main meal – particularly one high in carbohydrates – to help slow the breakdown of carbs in the gut and promote a gentler rise in blood sugar after eating.

Women leading innovation

While the clinical trial gives Sweet Wood its scientific backbone, another defining aspect of the brand is its all-female team.

“From research to formulation to brand development, Sweet Wood has been shaped by women,” Ranmali said. “That was not incidental – it was intentional.”

She added that building a women-led team in the nutraceutical and export space, sectors often dominated by men, was both a strategic and symbolic choice. “We wanted to demonstrate that women-led innovation from Sri Lanka can compete on a global stage,” she explained.

The team’s perspective also informed the product’s positioning around hormone shifts, daily energy rhythms and metabolic balance – topics that often intersect with women’s health.

“Our conversations went beyond generic wellness,” Ranmali noted. “We spoke about blood sugar in the context of real lives – busy professionals, women navigating hormonal changes, people trying to avoid energy crashes after meals.”

Flavour meets function

Sweet Wood is available in two variants: Ceylon Cinnamon + Hibiscus and Ceylon Cinnamon + Passionfruit.

The hibiscus blend is positioned as supporting cardiovascular health and metabolic balance, while the passionfruit variant is linked to cognitive clarity, mood stability and reduced fatigue. Both are free from added sugar, artificial preservatives and synthetic additives, and are made from sustainably sourced Ceylon cinnamon bark.

“Function was non-negotiable, but flavour mattered too,” Ranmali said. “If we wanted people to make this part of their daily routine, it had to be enjoyable.”

The result is a small, concentrated shot that aims to balance efficacy with sensory appeal – warm cinnamon notes layered with subtle fruit acidity.

A global debut

Sweet Wood made its international debut at SIAL Paris 2024 in October 2024, one of the world’s leading food innovation exhibitions. The product was selected as a finalist for Most Innovative Product, a recognition that placed Sri Lankan cinnamon innovation on a global platform.

“That moment was incredibly validating,” Ranmali said. “We were standing among global food-tech giants, representing a product rooted in Sri Lankan agriculture and women-led research.”

For a country long known as the world’s finest source of “true cinnamon” – Cinnamomum verum – the move into clinically validated nutraceuticals marks a new chapter.

Redefining everyday health

Sweet Wood’s stated vision is to redefine wellness through scientifically validated, nature-based solutions that are easy to integrate into daily life. Its mission focuses on transforming traditional ingredients into trustworthy, accessible products.

For Ranmali, the work sits at the intersection of heritage and modernity.

“Cinnamon has always been part of our story as a country,” she reflected. “What we have done is give it a new language – one of data, trials and measurable outcomes.”

As conversations around metabolic health, diabetes prevention and clean-label supplements continue to grow globally, Sweet Wood positions itself as both proudly Sri Lankan and internationally relevant.

“Our ambition is simple,” Ranmali said. “We want people everywhere to see that innovation can come from Sri Lanka, that women can lead it, and that nature – when backed by science – can be powerful.”

In a single daily shot, the brand attempts to bottle nearly a century of spice legacy, a decade of research and the vision of a new generation of Sri Lankan women determined to take cinnamon further than ever before.