Is Too Much Cinnamon Unhealthy?

Like many other foods, cinnamon can be unhealthy in large amounts. The reason for this is the flavoring substance coumarin, which is also contained in woodruff, among other things. Anyone who only occasionally eats cinnamon products or bakes or cooks with the spice can do so without a guilty conscience. The consumption of large amounts of cinnamon products over a longer period of time is particularly harmful to health. In this case, the coumarin it contains can damage the liver. Young children are also more at risk than adults.

It is also important which type of cinnamon is used in gingerbread, rice pudding, cinnamon rolls, apple jelly or cinnamon stars. A distinction is made between the two types of cinnamon Ceylon cinnamon and Cassia cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon contains only small amounts of coumarin and is considered harmless. It’s a bit more expensive, but you can use it for baking without hesitation. For example, you can use the spice to prepare our cinnamon waffles recipe and enjoy it without regrets.

Cassia cinnamon, on the other hand, contains significantly larger amounts of the flavoring substance. The inexpensive spice is preferably used in ready-made baked goods. The permitted amount of coumarin in food is limited to a level that is harmless to health; the consumption of around 24 small cinnamon stars is not considered dangerous for healthy adults. More worrying are the calories ingested at the same time. Small children weighing only 15 kilograms, on the other hand, should eat a maximum of four small cinnamon stars, one gingerbread, one portion of rice pudding with cinnamon, or two muesli bars a day.