Cinnamon is a very popular
herb that has been in existence for a long time in history. Harvested from a
variety of leafy green trees (Cinnamomum)
native in Sri Lanka, this herb has a lot of health benefits to most people who
trust its power. In addition to that, cinnamon is the main ingredient in most
products such as toothpaste, lipstick, perfumes and cola drinks. For those
readers who don’t know much about the cinnamon tree, let me mention that this
tree has a thick reddish-brown bark with yellow flowers and leathery leaves
with a strong spicy smell.
If we look at the health
benefits of cinnamon herb, you’ll discover that there’s much to talk about.
With the presence of active ingredients into the formula, cinnamon offers vast
antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiseptic properties that fight
against bacteria, fungal and viruses.
Although cinnamon offers
vast health and medicinal properties, consuming high doses of cassia cinnamon
can cause negative health effects to most sensitive people. Cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) is a spice harvested from the barks of a Chinese tree and
is largely found in most Supermarket stores. Although it’s recognized for its
vast health benefits, cassia cinnamon contains substantial amounts of coumarin
which is the main cause of danger when cassia is consumed in large amounts.
What is coumarin?
Coumarin is a fragrant
organic chemical substance largely found in cassia cinnamon in a very high
concentration. Known to exist in a colorless crystalline form, coumarin is not
only found in cassia cinnamon but it’s also present in most other plants such
as Tonka beans, Sweet Woodrush, Mullein, Vanilla grass, and Sweetgrass.
Coumarin was first
discovered in 1820 where it was extracted from the Tonka bean. From there on,
this substance was named coumarin—a name that resembles the botanical name of
Tonka bean (coumarou). After its
discovery, coumarin was found to contain a very sweet odor which made it a
primary ingredient in the manufacture of sweet flavored perfumes. Apart from
being used as an ingredient in the manufacture of perfumes, coumarin is used as
an aroma enhancer in certain drinks and piped tobacco.
Side effects of coumarin in cassia cinnamon
Cassia cinnamon is the most
commonly used type of cinnamon in the United States and the entire Europe at
large. This is because cassia is cheaper and largely available in the market as
compared to Ceylon cinnamon. Although these two spices do look alike, there is
a huge difference when it comes to the coumarin content.
According to studies
conducted in Germany, it was discovered that cassia cinnamon contains the
highest coumarin concentration as compared to Ceylon cinnamon. These statistics
revealed that cassia cinnamon powder contained over 63 times more coumarin
levels than Ceylon while cassia sticks contained up to 18 times more coumarin
than Ceylon sticks.
Now, according to most
studies across the globe, it has been revealed that coumarin found in cassia
cinnamon is the main cause of liver disease, damage, and failure. In the United
States alone, over 30 million cases of liver damage have been reported. This
simply tells us that cassia cinnamon—which is largely consumed by most people
in the United States—is the main cause of such illnesses considering it has
substantial amounts of coumarin which is dangerous.
Following these statistics,
health officials have largely advised consumers to consider using Ceylon
cinnamon due to its low coumarin levels as compared to cassia cinnamon.
Just to add on to this,
studies in rats have revealed that consuming substantial amounts of cassia
cinnamon over a long period of time can provoke cancer-causing cells. Although
these studies are not evidenced in humans, I think such a study should stand as
a stunning warning to those people who consume cassia in large quantities.
Why is Ceylon cinnamon the best alternative?
There are four major types
of cinnamon species namely Ceylon, Cassia, Saigon and Korintje cinnamon. Saigon
and Korintje cinnamon are mostly classified under cassia due to their
similarity in terms of color, taste, and shape. These three types of cinnamon
(with exception of Ceylon) are hard and contain substantial amounts of coumarin
which is harmful to the liver if consumed in large amounts over a long period
of time.
Ceylon cinnamon—also known
as “true cinnamon”—is the best between the four cinnamon species and is usually
the most expensive. Credited for being the first spice to be introduced in
Europe during the colonial era, Ceylon cinnamon has lost its popularity over
the dominant cassia cinnamon due to its high price and unavailability.
Despite of its scarcity,
Ceylon cinnamon continues to be the one true cinnamon spice due to its high
health and medicinal value. What really makes Ceylon a better choice over
cassia is the low coumarin levels present in the formula. As we stated earlier,
coumarin is a chemical substance that causes serious health issues if consumed
in large amounts. Since Ceylon cinnamon contains low coumarin levels, users are
free to consume large amounts of this herb as compared to cassia cinnamon.
