Is Ceylon cinnamon better than Cassia cinnamon for health benefits?

Different types of cinnamon come from the bark of different trees in the Cinnamomum family. “Ceylon cinnamon”, sometimes called “true cinnamon”, comes from the Cinnamomum zeylanicum tree (also known as Cinnamomum verum) and is often marketed as the “best” type of cinnamon. Does the evidence support this notion?

Firstly, as mentioned elsewhere in this FAQ, cinnamon products can contain a blend of different types of cinnamon.^[1][2][3][4] Consequently, for studies that do not specify which type of cinnamon was used, it is possible that the reported effects result from a blend of different types of cinnamon. In such studies, isolating the effect of a specific type of cinnamon is impossible.

Secondly, while clinical studies in this field sometimes state the method of cinnamon delivery (e.g., capsules, powder, or sticks), the specific type of cinnamon is less frequently described,^{[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]} and no clinical trials have explicitly compared the effects of different types of cinnamon. That said, some meta-analyses have tried to infer such conclusions. For example, Moridpour et al. (2023) found that Cassia cinnamon might have a greater benefit on glycemic control than Ceylon cinnamon.^[16] Another meta-analysis by Sarmadi et al. (2023) found a similar magnitude of effect between Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon on triglycerides but a greater effect of Ceylon cinnamon on total cholesterol and LDL.^[17] Similarly, Jamali et al. (2020) found a greater effect of Ceylon cinnamon than Cassia on total cholesterol and LDL but, unlike Moridpour et al., a more robust effect of Cassia on triglycerides.^[9]

These meta-analytical findings indicate the potential for different types of cinnamon to vary in their magnitude of benefit. However, it is important to note that the comparisons made in these meta-analyses were based on a small number of studies and there was considerable between-study heterogeneity.^[16][17][9] For this reason, it is not currently possible to conclude that one type of cinnamon is better than another; high-quality randomized controlled trials comparing cinnamon types — e.g., “Ceylon cinnamon” (Cinnamomum zeylanicum/Cinnamomum verum) vs. “Cassia cinnamon” (Cinnamomum cassia) — are needed to make such a conclusion.