Cinnamon contains a molecule called coumarin,[1][2][3][4] which is potentially toxic to humans if ingested in high amounts.[5][6][7][8] Research has shown that different types of cinnamon contain different amounts of coumarin. For example, Cinnamomum cassia (“Chinese cinnamon”) typically contains far greater quantities of coumarin than Cinnamomum zeylanicum (also called Cinnamomum verum or “Ceylon cinnamon”).[9][4] However, because some cinnamon products found in food stores contain a blend of different types of cinnamon, there can be wide variability in the coumarin content of different cinnamon-containing products.[2][9][4][5]
References
- ^Abraham K, Pfister M, Wöhrlin F, Lampen ARelative bioavailability of coumarin from cinnamon and cinnamon-containing foods compared to isolated coumarin: a four-way crossover study in human volunteersMol Nutr Food Res.(2011 Apr)
- ^Wang YH, Avula B, Nanayakkara NP, Zhao J, Khan IACassia cinnamon as a source of coumarin in cinnamon-flavored food and food supplements in the United StatesJ Agric Food Chem.(2013 May 8)
- ^Iwata N, Kainuma M, Kobayashi D, Kubota T, Sugawara N, Uchida A, Ozono S, Yamamuro Y, Furusyo N, Ueda K, Tahara E, Shimazoe TThe Relation between Hepatotoxicity and the Total Coumarin Intake from Traditional Japanese Medicines Containing Cinnamon Bark.Front Pharmacol.(2016)
- ^Fotland TØ, Paulsen JE, Sanner T, Alexander J, Husøy TRisk assessment of coumarin using the bench mark dose (BMD) approach: children in Norway which regularly eat oatmeal porridge with cinnamon may exceed the TDI for coumarin with several folds.Food Chem Toxicol.(2012 Mar)
- ^Abraham K, Wöhrlin F, Lindtner O, Heinemeyer G, Lampen AToxicology and risk assessment of coumarin: focus on human dataMol Nutr Food Res.(2010 Feb)
- ^Gu DT, Tung TH, Jiesisibieke ZL, Chien CW, Liu WYSafety of Cinnamon: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses and Systematic Reviews of Randomized Clinical Trials.Front Pharmacol.(2021)
- ^Hajimonfarednejad M, Ostovar M, Raee MJ, Hashempur MH, Mayer JG, Heydari MCinnamon: A systematic review of adverse eventsClin Nutr.(2019 Apr)
- ^Aguilar, F. et alCoumarin in flavorings and other food ingredients with flavoring properties ‐ Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in Contact with Food (AFC)EFSA Journal.(2008-10)
- ^Woehrlin F, Fry H, Abraham K, Preiss-Weigert AQuantification of flavoring constituents in cinnamon: high variation of coumarin in cassia bark from the German retail market and in authentic samples from indonesiaJ Agric Food Chem.(2010 Oct 13)