“Lucent syrops, tinct with cinnamon.” – John Keats
“Those golden birds…. that under Araby’s soft sun Build their high nests of budding cinnamon.” – Thomas Moore
“I can’t tell you enough about cinnamon.” – Emeril Lagasse
“I really don’t think I need buns of steel. I’d be happy with buns of cinnamon.” – Ellen DeGeneres
Overview
A mainstay in kitchen spice racks around the world, cinnamon consists of the inner bark peeled from several species of Cinnamomum trees. The species known as true cinnamon, C. verum, is native to Sri Lanka and has a mild taste. C. cassia, grown in Indonesia and China, is likely what you’ll find sprinkled on your cappucino or pastries and coffee cake. The way to tell the difference is to look at cinnamon sticks, also known as quills, to see how the scrolls roll. True cinnamon has one scroll, while cassia rolls up from both sides. (See the picture of cassia in the title bar above.) Written records about cinnamon date back four millennia, and the spice has been used for centuries to support healthy blood sugar levels and lower blood lipids.
Cinnamomum verum, from Koehler’s Medicinal-Plants (1887)
What are the known benefits?
Some studies, both in vivo and in vitro, with humans and rodents, show lower postprandial and fasting blood glucose. This 2013 study in The Annals of Family Medicine found that the consumption of cinnamon is associated with a statistically significant decrease in levels of fasting plasma glucose; however, no significant effect on hemoglobin A1c was found.
Any other potential benefits?
The same 2013 study also found evidence that cinnamon lowered total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglyceride levels, and an increased in HDL-C levels There is evidence cinnamon is also an anti-fungal.
Any reports debunking these benefits?
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative health looked at five studies and concluded that cinnamon provides no benefit for conditions related to diabetes and heart disease.
The American Diabetic Association is equivocating. An undated post on the ADA website states, “There is not enough evidence from research to claim that including cinnamon in your daily diet will help regulate blood glucose in people with diabetes, so it is not recommended for that purpose at this time.”
However, a post concerning a 2012 study acknowledged that cinnamon might lower blood glucose in type 2 diabetes.
Comments: There are dozens if not hundreds of studies, so look at those, not only five. At the same time that these organizations conclude that cinnamon will not help medical conditions, they point out that cinnamon contains coumarin, a known blood thinner whose derivative warfarin is commonly prescribed. Again, guys, you can’t have it both ways.
What is the scientific mechanism at play?
This 2010 article found cinnamon lowered blood glucose and lipid levels in a specific strain of mice and theorizes that a component of cinnamon activates a metabolic pathway known as PPARalpha (for lipids) and PPAR gamma (for glucose).
Warnings
In Europe, cassia carries warnings concerning possible blood-thinning effects, so don’t use too much of it. Timothy Ferriss, in his book The Four-Hour Body, recommends limiting daily consumption to a teaspoon and a half a day and suggests that you grind your own because the polyphenols and other active ingredients degrade over time. Some people suggest that you stay away from cassia and instead use Ceylon (Sri Lankan) cinnamon.
Conclusion
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References
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3767714/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20195835
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/cinnamon
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22594097
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