Cinnamon has long been used as a culinary spice, flavoring some of our favorite holiday treats like cookies and eggnog, candies and even coffee. Cinnamon has even been used as a healing botanical for stabilizing blood sugar and killing microbes. Yet, in 2006, the German government banned certain holiday cookies because of its high use of cinnamon (Harris 2006). The Federal Institute of Risk Assessment, a consumer protection agency in Germany, published a report on the toxicity of cinnamon.  With such conflicting evidence, it can be difficult to know whether to use such a beloved spice (The Federal Institute of Risk Assessment 2006).

Ceylon versus Cassia

One clear distinction that needs to be made is that there are two main types of cinnamon used for cooking and, although they are similar in taste, they have different chemical properties. Ceylon cinnamon, also known as sweet cinnamon or true cinnamon, contains various compounds including traces of coumarin (Mountain Rose Herbs, “Cinnamon (Sweet)” n.d.). The other type of cinnamon, Cassia, is heavier in oil content and less sweet to taste. It also contains coumarin but in much higher doses (Mountain Rose Herbs, “Cinnamon (Cassia)” n.d.). It is the levels of coumarin within these two cinnamons that really sets them apart and causes most of the debate.

Coumarin

While there are many beneficial constituents of cinnamon, the presence of coumarin is what makes its use as a culinary spice troubling. It is listed in the 2006 Code of Federal Regulation as a substance prohibited from use in human food (Food and Drug Administration 2006). While this pertains to coumarin being used as a food additive, it does not necessarily extend to food in which it is naturally occurring. This is why Cassia cinnamon is still on the market. The trace amount of coumarin in Ceylon cinnamon is too low to cause concern; however, the levels of courmarin in Cassia cinnamon are much greater. Individuals using cinnamon sparingly to flavor dishes may not be ingesting enough of the toxin coumarin, which can cause liver damage, to be acutely harmful (The Federal Institute of Risk Assessment 2006). However, some individuals may be taking cinnamon capsules for therapeutic reasons – such as the management of blood sugar. In cases such as this, researchers are concerned about high and repetitive doses. Considering this, is seems very important to know which type of cinnamon you are ingesting and in what doses (The Federal Institute of Risk Assessment 2006). So which cinnamon is on your shelves? Mostly likely you will find Cassia cinnamon if you live in America or Canada. But that doesn’t mean you can’t purchase Ceylon cinnamon. Mountain Rose Herbs sells it by the ounce and pound along with their other bulk herbs and spices.

Cinnamon and Blood Sugar

So what are some of the healing benefits of cinnamon that make is such a popular supplement? Researchers have found that cinnamon has the ability to affect blood sugar in a positive way. One study suggests that cinnamon alters body composition in association with improved insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant animals fed a high fat/ high fructose diet (Couturier, Batandier, Awada, Hininger-Favier, et. al. 2009). Another study suggests that cinnamon can help alleviate symptoms of and prevent metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular and related diseases (Qin, Panickar and Anderson 2010). When combined in treats and candies in small amounts, individuals may not get the full healing benefits as when they use cinnamon therapeutically. When used orally like this, it is essential to be taking the right kind of cinnamon.

Cinnamon and Cancer

But even with that said, Cassia cinnamon may have health benefits – just not in oral form. So it’s important not to disregard its health benefits completely. A study found that Cassia cinnamon kills cervical cancer cells and can be used as a potent chemopreventive drug in cervical cancer (Koppikar, Choudhari, Suryavanshi, et. al. 2010). This is an enormously positive benefit to one of the world’s most common culinary spices. Although it seems Cassia should be taken off the market as a supplement or culinary spice, it can still be used to promote health and well being in other ways.

Cinnamon and Microbes

Health advocates are not the only ones to see the potential benefits of cinnamon. Even the food and agriculture industry is starting to investigate the antimicrobial properties of cinnamon. Researchers have developed a new wax paper infused with cinnamon oil to help package cherry tomatoes and increase their shelf life. Different active agents were evaluated against the Alternaria alternata fungus.  The cinnamon-based packaging killed the fungus without changing the color, weight or taste of the tomatoes (Rodriguez-Lafuente, Nerin and Batlle 2010). For industrial food producers, where chemicals are favored over natural alternatives, this discovery is very fortunate.

Conclusion

In a world where we are surrounded by the use of toxic chemicals – from the cleaners we use to the food we eat – it can be disheartening to find that a spice like cinnamon contains toxic elements as well. Many people are trying to find natural ways to help heal their bodies, and might not suspect that a supplement they are taking is actually harmful. It’s a perfect example of how finding useful information can be difficult when one source tells you to eat cinnamon and another tells you not to. If we came across just one aspect of the issue, we might stop using cinnamon entirely without knowing there are also enormous health benefits. Or, we might be tempted to disregard Cassia cinnamon altogether if we didn’t also know that it can help prevent cervical cancer.  Although the waters can be murky, they can still be navigated with the help of health professionals like Naturopathic Doctors, who receive extensive training in natural therapeutics. The truth is, with a little guidance, you can still have your cinnamon cookies and eat them too!

References

• Couturier, K., C. Batandier, M. Awada, I. Hininger-Favier, et. al. 2009. Cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity and alters the body composition in an animal model of the metabolic syndrome. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. E-published in May.
• The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). 2006. High daily intakes of cinnamon: Health risk cannot be ruled out. BfR Health Assessment No. 044/2006.  (accessed Jume 4, 2010).
• Food and Drug Administration. 2006. Substances prohibited from use in human food: Coumarin. Code of Federa Regulation Title 21 part 189. http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_06/21cfr189_06.html (accessed June 3, 2010).
• Harris, E. 2006. German Christmas Cookies Pose Health Danger. NPR News. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6672644 (accessed June 4, 2010).
• Koppikar, S., A. Choudhari, S. Suryavanshi, et. al. 2010. Aqueous Cinnamon Extract (ACE-c) from the bark of Cinnamomum cassia causes apoptosis in human cervical cancer cell line (SiHa) through loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. BMC Cancer. E-published May.
• Mountain Rose Herbs. N.D. Cinnamon (Cassia) Bark and Powder Profile. Mountain Rose Herbs Web site. http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/cassia.php (accessed June 4, 2010).
• Mountain Rose Herbs. N.D. Cinnamon (Sweet) Bark and Powder Profile. Mountain Rose Herbs Web site. http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/cinnamonbark.php (accessed June 4, 2010).
• Qin, B., K. Panickar and R. Anderson. 2010. Cinnamon: Potential Role in the Prevention of Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology 4 (3):685-693.
• Rodriguez-Lafuente, A., C. Nerin and R. Batlle. 2010. Active paraffin-based paper packaging for extending the shelf life of cherry tomatoes. Journal Agricultural and Food Chemistry 58(11):6780-6.