We can’t think of too many spices that are dangerous.
But if you believe the recent claim made by the European Union (EU), this one can cause liver damage. They even imposed limits on how much of it dessert makers can put in their food. Understandably, this news caused a bit of a stir on our Facebook page.
And we don’t blame you. The claim is absurd. The EU targeted a specific kind of Danish dessert that’s full of sugar, refined flour, and oil. This spice is one of the main ingredients. It also happens to be the only healthy thing about the dessert.
| The average cinnamon roll packs 880 calories, 36 grams of fat, 880 mg of sodium, 127 grams of carbohydrates, and 59 grams of sugar.4 Still think cinnamon is what makes your dessert dangerous? |
Don’t let the EU’s ridiculous warning put you off. There’s nothing unsafe about this spice. We can’t really say that for the dessert itself though.
The dessert in question is the Danish cinnamon roll. The EU is claiming that the coumarin in their cinnamon causes liver damage.1 And it does—if you eat it by the spoonful.
Cinnamon is rich in polyphenols. It significantly lowered blood sugar in eight different studies. It didn’t matter whether it was whole cinnamon or an extract. Both lowered blood sugar by nearly 10 points in patients with type 2 diabetes.2
So if you’re feeling “rebellious” enough to ignore the warnings out of the EU, we recommend that you get the Ceylon variety. It has more cinnamon oil than cassia, the more common type. It also has a fraction of the coumarin, so it’s safe enough even for the EU.The effect may be modest. But it’s about as effective as some diabetes medications.3 The main differences are that one is unnatural and comes with side effects. The other is—well—just cinnamon.
Adding cinnamon to your meals a simple and effective way to keep your blood sugar levels where they belong. And if you already suffer from type 2 diabetes, it offers a natural, flavorful way to fight the disease. Unless you keep eating those cinnamon rolls.
References:
1 http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/12/eu-worried-danish-cinnamon-rolls-could-cause-liver-damage/282678/
2 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21480806
3 http://www.naturalnews.com/043477_Ceylon_cinnamon_blood_sugar_levels_diabetes_treatment.html
4 http://www.cinnabon.com/media/15381/2013_Nutritional%20Info_0313.pdf
1 http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/12/eu-worried-danish-cinnamon-rolls-could-cause-liver-damage/282678/
2 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21480806
3 http://www.naturalnews.com/043477_Ceylon_cinnamon_blood_sugar_levels_diabetes_treatment.html
4 http://www.cinnabon.com/media/15381/2013_Nutritional%20Info_0313.pdf
