Cinnamon is a great spice and loved by many. It is a warming spice with lots of health benefits. It has a bit of a sweet taste that makes oatmeal porridge, apple pancakes and fruit in general just taste better without having to add any sugar.
Cinnamon helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, has anti inflammatory properties, is loaded with anti-oxidants, helps with heart health, it influences oral hygiene and stimulates the immune system among others.
The two most used types of cinnamon are Cassia cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon. Cassia cinnamon originates from China and is the cheapest one that you find in most supermarkets. Ceylon cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka also named real cinnamon, which you can find mostly online or in health food stores. It has a mild sweet and spicy flavour.
Just because something is natural, doesn’t mean using more is better. Lots of foods, herbs and spices have a medicinal function and should be used as such. Because of its benefits to manage blood sugar levels, cinnamon is used a lot by diabetics and anyone who wants to keep their insulin in check.
Cassia cinnamon has a compound named coumarin and when you use high doses of Cassia cinnamon this can cause liver damage, breathing problems, mouth sores and even increased risk of cancer development. Ceylon cinnamon has only a trace amount of coumarin and is much safer.
If you use Cassia cinnamon stay under 1 teaspoon and preferably don’t use it every day. If you love cinnamon and use it daily it is better to switch over to Ceylon cinnamon and enjoy safely all its benefits.