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Proper nutrition is more important for a person’s health than many realize. Sometimes even an ordinary food can endanger it, something you would never expect.
Today we take a closer look at the often-used and popular cinnamon. It is commonly consumed quite frequently in the pre-Christmas period, whether as part of sweets or mulled wine.
Origin of cinnamon
Original cinnamon comes from Ceylon, i.e. Sri Lanka, and it is far from resembling what is mostly sold in stores today as cinnamon.
These are mostly related species that are grown in Vietnam or China.
Although cinnamon is an extremely healthy food, some of its varieties can contain substances harmful to the body that negate its health benefits.
How to recognize real cinnamon
True cinnamon is today grown in countries such as Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Brazil and the Caribbean.
Its cheaper and more harmful varieties are produced mainly in Vietnam, China and Indonesia. Therefore the first thing you should pay attention to when buying it is the country of origin.
The second important characteristic for distinguishing it is appearance and taste.
True cinnamon is lighter in color, has a sweeter taste and a stronger aroma. Its less-quality relatives are rather darker red to brown in color with a more pungent taste.
The substance to watch out for in cinnamon
Probably the most important thing distinguishing true cinnamon from its related species is the content of the substance coumarin.
Ceylon cinnamon contains about 0.017 grams of coumarin per 1 kg of cinnamon. In other species it is 2.15 to 6.97 grams of coumarin per 1 kg.
Coumarin is a substance that acts as an anticoagulant, meaning it thins the blood. Its daily intake should not exceed 0.1 mg per kg of body weight. This substance in higher doses also damages the liver.
If a person is taking blood-thinning medications such as warfarin (to prevent the formation of blood clots), then they should avoid using cinnamon altogether to be safe.
Conclusion
To sum up, when buying cinnamon watch out for these 3 things:
- country of origin (Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Caribbean)
- color and taste (lighter, sweet taste, not pungent)
- coumarin content (no more than 0.02 to 0.03 g / kg)
- The packaging usually lists the country of origin, but not the coumarin content. In such a case do not hesitate to contact the manufacturer directly and ask them for this information.
