If you live in North America or Europe, that jar of “cinnamon” in your cupboard is probably not truly cinnamon at all, but a very similar spice known as cassia.
True
cinnamon is usually labeled “Ceylon cinnamon” and comes principally from Sri Lanka (called Ceylon in colonial times), India, Madagascar, Brazil, and the Caribbean. Cassia, on the other hand, is often designated as “Chinese cinnamon” or “Saigon cinnamon” and comes principally from Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea.
Cinnamon is one of the oldest and most popular spices, and has been used for millennia both for its flavor and medicinal qualities. In ancient Egypt, it was used to fill body cavities of corpses as an embalming agent. In ancient Rome, it was considered so valuable that the emperor Nero burned a year’s supply on his wife’s funeral pyre as proof of his devotion to her.
Ceylon cinnamon is more expensive and more difficult to find in North America, where most spices labeled cinnamon are actually the cheaper cassia. Sweeter, lighter, and more refined than cassia, true cinnamon is most suitable for flavoring desserts rather than more robust, savory dishes, which can handle the heavier cassia.
Besides flavor, the most important distinction between the two spices, however, is in their levels of coumarin, a natural compound that acts as a blood thinner when ingested.
Cassia has much higher levels of coumarin than true cinnamon. Patients on blood thinners such as warfarin (trade name Coumadin) are often advised to limit their intake of cinnamon, but this generally applies to cassia more so than to real cinnamon.
Both types of cinnamon are excellent sources of the trace mineral
manganese, which is an important activator of enzymes essential to building healthy bones as well as other physiological processes, including carbohydrate and fat metabolism.
They are also both very good sources of dietary fiber, iron, and calcium. The combination of calcium and fiber is thought to be helpful in reducing the risk of colon cancer, lowering cholesterol levels, and relieving constipation and diarrhea.
Cinnamon has been shown to normalize blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetics by
improving the ability to respond to insulin. It does so in part by slowing the rate at which the stomach empties after eating as evidenced by a study in which people ate about a cup of rice pudding with and without about a teaspoon of cinnamon. Adding cinnamon slowed the rate that stomach emptied to 34.5 percent from 37 percent and significantly slowed the rise in blood sugar levels. Even less than half a teaspoon a day reduces blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetics.
2. Favorably Alters the Blood Lipid Profile
Diabetics can also reduce their risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease by consuming even one daily gram (about 1/3 teaspoon) of cinnamon. One
2003 USDA study found that after 40 days of eating just 1 to 6 grams of cinnamon (about 2 teaspoons), Type 2 diabetics were not only able to reduce their blood sugar levels by 18 percent to 29 percent, but also lowered their triglycerides by 23 percent to 30 percent, their LDL cholesterol by 7 percent to 27 percent and total cholesterol by 12 percent to 26 percent. [
Note: The focus on LDL cholesterol particles by number versus their quality is misleading.]
3. Supports Healthy Blood Clotting
Much research has been devoted to cinnamon’s effect on
blood platelets, which contribute to clotting. It helps thin the blood and prevents unwanted clumping of platelets. It’s so effective as an anti-coagulant that patients taking prescription blood thinners are warned not to take cinnamon in concentrated form such as supplements or extracts. Cassia has higher concentrations of the blood-thinning agent coumarin, which is all the more reason to opt for the Ceylon form.
4. Fights Bacteria and Fungus
Ayurvedic medicine has long used cinnamon for its
anti-microbial qualities to support the immune system and prevent colds and flu. It has been proven to help stop the growth of bacteria, fungus, and the common yeast Candida. One study showed that it is an
effective alternative to chemical food preservatives and just a few drops of essential oil of cinnamon added to refrigerated carrot broth prevented the growth of food-borne pathogens for up to 60 days.
5. Boosts Memory and Protects the Brain
Chewing cinnamon-flavored gum or just smelling the sweet spice has been found to improve brain activity. Research led by Dr. P. Zoladz and presented at the 2004 meeting of the
Association for Chemoreception Sciences, in Sarasota, Florida, concluded that cinnamon enhances cognitive processing and was found to improve test subjects’ scores related to attention, memory, and visual-motor speed when working at a computer.
6. Improves Digestion
In traditional Chinese medicine, cinnamon has been used to treat flatulence, nausea, and diarrhea. It’s also believed to improve the body’s ability to digest fruit, milk, and other dairy products.
Cassia and real cinnamon are often labeled the same in North America. The true Ceylon version will be more expensive, and it will be a lighter shade of brown, a finer powder, and have a sweeter scent. When buying the sticks, known as “quills,” keep in mind that, generally, cassia will be thicker and the two ends will be rolled toward each other rather than being rolled in one direction only.
