Lately, there has been a lot of news about the health benefits of cinnamon. Cinnamon appears to have many health benefits especially for diabetics and the regulation of blood sugars. It also has anti-fungal, antibacterial, anti-parasitic and anti-inflammatory properties. Some studies have also shown that the smell on cinnamon can improve your memory. I am not writing this article to talk about all of those health benefits in particular, but rather the fact that there is another facet of the story to pay attention to. Not all cinnamon is created equal.
There are two main types of cinnamon. "True", also known as Ceylon cinnamon, is Cinnamomum zeylanicum (also known as Cinnamomum verum). And cassia, which is commonly found in grocery stores in the United States. Cassia has the scientific names Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum aromaticaum and Cinnamomum burmannii. Cassia is also referred to as: Chinese cinnamon, Saigon cinnamon, Java cinnamon and Padang cassia. Both types are both produced from the bark of trees that are grown in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam, and Egypt. And while they are closely related, they are not the same.
The flavor of the 2 types is slightly different, the Ceylon version is a bit sweeter than the cassia and not as strong. Both have the same important phyto chemicals for health. But the true and important difference to be aware of is that the more common (in the U.S.) cassia cinnamon has a much higher level of a chemical called coumarin. Coumarin is a natural plant chemical that has strong anticoagulant properties. Too much coumarin taken over a long period of time can have possible health risks. Because of this, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Berlin, Germany and other organizations like it, recommend avoiding significant amounts of cassia cinnamon.
If you want to look up what kind of cinnamon is in your kitchen cupboards you may have a difficult time. I found that my McCormick cinnamon does not state on the canister what type it is. However, a quick trip to the McCormick website showed that the type of cinnamon used by that company is, in fact, the cassia type. You can look yours up in the same way.
If you are just using cinnamon in the regular way, using a bit to cook or bake with, either type is probably just fine. However, if you want to take therapeutic amounts of cinnamon you may consider going online or to a health foods store to be sure you have Ceylon cinnamon. Why take the risk of potential side effects if you are trying to improve your health?
Cinnamon And Diabetes:The Healthy Cinnamon - Ceylon or Cassia?
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Kristine Clemenger, Holistic Health Practitioner
