Cinnamon Supplements
Cinnamon supplements are common in United States and the western world, and this is certainly a safe and effective way to incorporate cinnamon into your diet.
With these supplements you can actually control the dose and avoid the potential side effects of overdoing cinnamon. But if you are not able to find these supplements, you can easily include cinnamon in your diet by using cinnamon stick or powder in your tea, coffee, cocoa, fruit juices, cake, cookies, breakfast cereals or porridge, on your toast and baked fruits.
What is Cinnamon?
Latin names: Cinnamomum cassia and Cinnamomum zeylanicum
Cinnamon is a small tree that grows in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam, and Egypt. It is one of the oldest known spices. To prepare it, the bark of the cinnamon tree is dried and rolled into cinnamon sticks, also called quills. Cinnamon can also be dried and ground into a powder.
Cinnamon Health Benefits:
Cinnamon Health Benefits include: Improving digestion or fruits and dairy products; controlling blood sugar and aiding in weight loss; increasing lean body mass; relieving arthritis pain; helping with type-2 diabetes; reducing chances of suffering heart attacks; improving memory and certain cognitive tasks; eliminating bad breath; inhibiting bacterial growth and food spoilage; reducing the proliferation of leukemia cancer cells and more..
Cinnamon Dosage:
Typical recommended dosages of ground cinnamon bark are 1 to 4 g daily. Recommended dosage with the supplements vary and we do not know at what dose toxication starts, so do be careful to not exceed what’s written on the cover.
Cinnamon Side Effects / Caution:
• Documented cinnamon side effects include increased heart rate, inflammation in the mouth or upper airway, difficulty breathing, flushing of the face, upset stomach, loose stools and allergic reactions. These types of reactions are rare at common doses but may occur with large doses or in persons with certain sensitivities.
• So please do not start taking large amounts of cinnamon supplements every day to attempt to extract these health benefits in increasing amounts. Cinnamon is known to be toxic in large doses.
• Do not abandon your prescription cholesterol medications in favor of cinnamon supplements. Cinnamon is not yet proven to be as effective at lowering cholesterol levels.
• Do not start eating a lot of fatty, calorie-dense foods just because they have cinnamon on or in them.
• Taking therapeutic doses of supplements of cinnamon along with diabetes medications may have an additive effect and cause blood glucose levels to dip too low. Consult your health professional before doing so.
• Cassia cinnamon, the kind that is normally found in grocery stores and in supplement form, naturally contains a compound called coumarin. Coumarin is also found in other plants such as celery, chamomile, sweet clover, and parsley.
• At high levels, coumarin (substance commonly found in cinnamon found at stores) can damage the liver. It can also have a “blood-thinning” effect, so cassia cinnamon supplements shouldn’t be taken with prescription anti-clotting medication, such as Coumadin (warfarin), or by people with bleeding disorders.
• It can also be found in a concentrated oil form that comes from cinnamon bark. Some of these products are not intended for consumption, but instead are used for aromatherapy essential oils. An overdose of this oil can depress the central nervous system. So you are better off not taking the oil at all.
• Pregnant women should avoid high doses of cinnamon supplements. Don’t let cinnamon supplements accidentally poison you.
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