Contents
In the article below you will find out, among others:
- What does cinnamon consist of?
- What is cinnamon good for?
- Can cinnamon be poisonous?
- How much cinnamon can you eat per day?
- How not to get cinnamon poisoning?
What does cinnamon consist of?
Coumarin (benzo-α-pyrone) is a fragrance found in food products and cosmetics. It can be found mainly in cinnamon, but not only. It is a component of many plants, mainly grasses, e.g. turnip, popularly known as Żubrówka and horse chestnut, melilot herb, rue, mugwort and thyme, Egyptian aminka fruit, flowers and leaves of medical lavender.
What is cinnamon good for?
Before you read about coumarin in a worse light, check out what beneficial it can do for the body:
- has diastolic properties,
- has a relaxing and calming effect,
- may have anti-cancer properties,
- inhibits the growth of microorganisms in the body,
- helps with insomnia, colic, constipation, problems with urination.
Can cinnamon be harmful?
It turns out that it is, especially in people who are prone to such action. Excess coumarin (unsubstituted) in your daily diet can damage the liver. Fortunately, earlier reports of coumarin’s carcinogenic effects are questionable. Nevertheless, at the moment there is no doubt that we should be careful about the content of this compound in the diet. Of course, a little cinnamon won’t hurt anyone. The problem arises when, in addition to adding this aromatic spice to your daily cereal, during the day you also eat cinnamon rolls, chicken in cinnamon sauce, apples with cinnamon, cinnamon tea. In that case, you put a lot of coumarin in your body. The safe dose that can be consumed in one day should not exceed 0,1 mg per kilogram body weight. If you weigh 60 kg, you should not take more than 6 mg of this compound in meals. According to EU law, the maximum permissible content of coumarin in food products should be 2 mg / kg of the product. Unfortunately, this does not apply to cinnamon, where we do not experience such regulation.
How much cinnamon can you eat per day?
According to daily Cassia Cinnamon Experts:
- a preschool child can consume 0,1 g,
- a school-age child can consume about 0,2 g,
- an adult can consume 0,5 g.
It’s very little, even an adult can only consume safely 1/6 flat teaspoon cinnamon!
*The authors of the above calculation also took into account the amount of coumarin introduced from other sources, e.g. cosmetics.
How not to get cinnamon poisoning?
1. Remember that Cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia), which comes from China, contains the most harmful compound.. It is cheaper than Ceylon, and therefore more often used, especially in ready-made products. Try to avoid him (although it’s very difficult). Read where the selected spice comes from! Here you can buy Ceylon cinnamon.
Unfortunately, very often Ceylon cinnamon is adulterated with Cassia cinnamon. It is difficult to distinguish between these varieties. It is good to know that the cinnamon stick Ceylon is rolled up on both sides in the so-called two-tube, ground, has a light, yellow-brown color and a mild, sweetish-spicy, slightly spicy flavor. For a change Cassia cinnamon it has a smooth, single stick, ground, it has a dark, rusty red color and a stinging, tart taste.
2. Control how many meals you eat with cinnamon. Most coumarin scientists suggest eating cinnamon no more than once a week. However, it will also be safe if you eat this spice every day in an amount not greater than the tip of a teaspoon. This amount will be less for children – daily consumption is not an option here.
Remember to approach the topic wisely. Research on the harmfulness of coumarin has so far been carried out on animals. We don’t know exactly what the situation is for humans. Fortunately, we know enough to safely enjoy the taste and aroma of this popular spice in moderation. Learn 10 reasons why you should consume cinnamon.
Do you like cinnamon? What are your favorite cinnamon recipes? Share with us!