The benefits of fresh cinnamon based on the variety and how to best enjoy the health boost from this ancient herb in remedies and recipes.
Throw everything you *think* you already know about cinnamon out the window. You know what I mean … the blah blah blah that Ceylon cinnamon is the only true cinnamon and the Cassia (Chinese) cinnamon is merely a cheap impostor and even dangerous to consume.
Turns out, this “fake” versus “true” cinnamon discussion is nothing but a red herring.
The topic of cinnamon benefits to health is much more subtle, and yes, vitally important than black and white arguments about its authenticity.
In this article, I’m going to break it all down for you in a simple, straightforward manner and explain the nuances of the cinnamon discussion for your consideration.
The conclusion I think you will arrive at, which is what seems most logical, at least to me, is that the cinnamon you are using is really not what you are looking for – regardless of its type!
Types of Cinnamon
It may surprise you to learn that there are literally hundreds of types of cinnamon! However, only two are used for commercial purposes today.
- Ceylon
- Cassia (or Chinese cinnamon)
Note that Saigon and Korinte are two additional subtypes of cassia cinnamon that are commonly available as well.
Consumers can distinguish between these types based on color, aroma, visual appearance, and of course, taste!
Let’s examine in more detail the two primary cinnamon types: cassia and Ceylon and the unique health benefits of each.
Ceylon Cinnamon
Ceylon cinnamon was the very first type of cinnamon to make its debut in Europe during the Middle Ages. Possession of it was considered a status symbol and luxury item. Arab traders transported it from Asia via cumbersome land routes.
Covetous of this elusive and fragrant spice, the Portuguese discovered the source of Ceylon cinnamon in present-day Sri Lanka around 1518. After conquering this island nation, the Portuguese and later the Dutch locked up control of the cinnamon trade for the nearly three hundred years!
Today, Ceylon cinnamon continues to be primarily produced in Sri Lanka. It is the most popular type of cinnamon in Europe.
Ceylon is valued for its mild, sweet flavor. Its bark is softer in both texture and color. It splinters easily when grated, so a soft touch is best when grinding it fresh.
It is best used in sweetened dishes and beverages where the taste of cinnamon will enhance the flavor. A sprinkle on a bowl of panna cotta is out of this world!
Cassia Cinnamon
Cassia cinnamon’s emergence on the scene occurred a few centuries after Ceylon.
By 1800, cinnamon was no longer expensive and rare as it had begun to be cultivated elsewhere in the world. Moreover, cassia, or Chinese cinnamon, which has a very similar flavor to Ceylon, began to rise in popularity.
Chinese cinnamon is usually produced in Indonesia. It is the primary cinnamon found in North America.
Saigon and Korintje cinnamon are both subtypes of Cassia with only slight variations in color, taste, and shape.
Saigon is the most potent – as in hottest – of the Cassia cinnamons. There are also texture differences in the bark with Cassia harder, redder and more difficult to grate. Its hardiness helps explain why it is cheaper to produce than Ceylon.
Cassia cinnamon is best used in savory dishes such as yellow rice where its spiciness blends well with other herbs.
Cinnamon Health Benefits
The cinnamon family of herbs are traditional and ancient as both food and medicine in human history. Use extends back for thousands of years – at least as early as 2000 B.C.
The Old Testament even mentions it within the context of anointing and perfuming oil, though the type is not specified.
Cinnamon has received a lot of popular press in recent years due to its many health benefits, particularly with regard to blood sugar control. There is much more good news, however!
Cinnamon benefits to health go far and beyond its promise as a helpful addition to the diet to facilitate blood sugar control!
Cinnamon has been used medicinally in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. In addition to its use as a spice, both Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon varieties have been used historically to treat a variety of ailments.
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite
- Seasonal herbal allergy relief (cassia only)
- Nausea and indigestion
- The common cold, sore throat remedy, and sinus blockage
- Inflammation
- Wounds
- Infections
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss
Ceylon vs Cassia Cinnamon
If you look into the popular press about cinnamon, the glowing reviews seem to primarily favor Ceylon cinnamon, frequently referred to as “true cinnamon”.
Why is Ceylon cinnamon marketed as having superior health benefits?
This is due to its ultra-low levels of a chemical called coumarin. Coumarin is an anti-coagulant of the blood (think coumadin, the drug of a similar name which is a blood thinner).
Cassia Cinnamon Risks
The truth is, while there are definitely color, taste and texture variations between Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon, the health differences are minor. This is the case unless you plan to consume excessively large amounts every single day.
There is a lot of internet hay about the liver toxicity of coumarin in Cassia, but the truth is that the risk is so low as to be virtually nonexistent!
For example, the median lethal dose of coumarin is set at 275 mg/kg of body weight. In addition, there is only .31g – 6.97 g of coumarin in each kg of Cassia cinnamon.
This means that for my size, I would have to ingest at least 2.24 kilograms of Cassia cinnamon (Saigon) and 50.3 kilograms of Chinese Cassia Cinnamon in a single day to be in any danger.
Are the warnings against cassia cinnamon overblown? According to my research, they most definitely are.
What’s more, according to Medscape, the numerous research studies on cinnamon benefits for glycemic control for those with Type 2 Diabetes show the most favorable data for Cassia cinnamon varieties, not Ceylon, or “true” cinnamon.
What Type of Cinnamon is Best?
The real issue with cinnamon, then, is not whether it is of the Ceylon or Cassia varieties. Buy whichever one you prefer.
I personally love the fiery flavor of Saigon cinnamon and use the appropriate variety for the dish that is being served.
The sweet, subtle flavor of Ceylon for dessert dishes and the stronger potency of Cassia cinnamon for savory fare would be my suggestion.
Enjoying the numerous cinnamon benefits to health is easier than you might think.
Traditional peoples have known about them for centuries, and scientists are finally unlocking the reasons why via formal studies.
The ultimate key to cinnamon is its freshness!
The sobering truth is that the cinnamon in your pantry is stale, probably years old and of little potency no matter if you bought Ceylon or Cassia.
Yes, you read that right. Almost all cinnamon on the shelf is YEARS old! This stale cinnamon has significantly reduced flavor and health benefits.
How to Get Fresh Cinnamon
The simple and inexpensive remedy for this problem is grinding fresh sticks yourself instead of bags or bottles of ground cinnamon.
Manual spice grinders are a good appliance to accomplish this. Another option is a simple microplane although it doesn’t work as well on fresh, delicate Ceylon cinnamon, which splinters easily.
If you are serious about using cinnamon for health benefits including weight loss, freshly ground is the best way to go.
Recipe Ideas for Fresh Cinnamon
One of my favorite ways to enjoy the benefits of cinnamon is freshly grated and then sprinkled on top of a red rooibos latte.
I also sprinkle some fresh cinnamon into a breakfast smoothie.
This really seems to help keep blood sugar steady and diminish carb cravings if the day promises to be a stressful one. Does anyone else get carb cravings when stressed? I’m sure I’m not the only one!
Another plus: early research indicates that cinnamon helps weight loss too.
References
(1) Cinnamon’s Spicy History
(2) Cinnamon for Diabetes, Medscape
(3) Types of Cinnamon
Wow Sarah who knew? It’s interesting because lately online I’ve been seeing all this talk about cinnamon and I often wondered “what’s the big deal?” but this was an awesome piece on everything cinnamon. And it’s perfect for this time of year. It doesn’t hurt that it goes oh so well with pumpkin! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Cinnamon is awesome as seasoning! BUT, when taken in large doses like a medicine it matters VERY much which you take! I have done substantial research on this and this is fact. Please update your post to reflect the correct information for those who take larges ‘doses’ of cinnamon daily like a medicine! Your post, as it currently stands, could cause someone harm without ALL the facts and situations included. Shalom.
Hi Kelly, the double blind studies on cinnamon that have taken place so far using cinnamon as medicine use around 360 mg/day at the high end. That’s less than a single 1 gram capsule! This is a trivial amount of cinnamon and wouldn’t harm anyone even if Saigon cinnamon is used … the highest in coumarin by far as explained in the article. As explained in the post, an enormous amount of cassia cinnamon would need to be consumed for any toxicity to occur … amounts so large that no one would ever ingest that much. If you have some credible research about this please post.
Hi Sarah- I just want o try to clarify my questions I do not have enough understanding to dispute what you have had to say about coumarin levels in cassia, and have no reason to question your conclusions in that regard. what i am still questioning is which studies have studied which type of cinnamon? And what do the differences show in terms of blood sugar control etc? also if people would consider using the terms cassia, ceylon, saigon etc instead of cinnamon as a generic term
Guess it’s time I threw out my cinnamon powder – and the sticks!
Zowie! That’s expensive…how many grated tsp. could one get out of A stick of cinnamon? If a recipe calls for a tsp. of cinnamon, could you get away with less since it is so flavorful?
Yes, fresh is quite powerful!
Nancy, I know my hubby tends toward hypoglycemia. He started taking a small jelly jar of local honey mixed with cinnamon with him to work. When he started feeling “woozy”, he would take a spoonful, instead of buying a candy bar or something. It worked! And after some time, he was able to stop even doing the honey cinnamon mixture because he wasn’t bothered anymore!
Thanks for sharing this, Sarah. I have read a few articles about this issue, touting Ceylon’s benefits (and, of course, it’s more expensive!). I’m glad we can use whichever!
For my younger son, the idea of liver toxicity are very real. Just a dash of cassia cinnamon turns him jaundiced and messes with his liver enzymes. If it hadn’t been for an article pointing out that possibility I would have never contemplated removing it from his diet, reintroducing it, and then permanently removed it when we saw distinct skin tone and eye changes and we still would have no idea that it was causing his jaundice. So despite the calculated amount that should need to be ingested to cause liver issues, there are those who have issues with just a dash. My son may be a rarity for that reaction, but for that reason I don’t dismiss the possibility.
Has this been confirmed by a physician? There is so little courmarin in a dash of cassia cinnamon as to be nonexistent.
Which kind grows in Mexico? We lived there and would peel the bark, which naturally rolls itself into the sticks of cinnamon.
And how much cinnamon does one have to grate into a meal to get the benefits? I used to add 1/2 tsp of commercial organic cinnamon into my morning oatmeal everyday. Is it enough to just grate a couple sprinkles? Thanks!
Check out this study, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22749176
The patients were divided into 3 groups, placebo, low dose and high dose. The low dose group received 120 mg/day and the high dose group 360 mg/day of cinnamon extract. The study’s conclusion is that that cinnamon supplementation is able to significantly improve blood glucose control in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. Both the low dose and high dose groups experienced significantly improved blood glucose levels.
good to know..