7 Side Effects of Too Much Cinnamon

Although there aren't any formal rules defining how much cinnamon is too much, the Mayo Clinic advises seeing your doctor before taking any supplement, including cinnamon supplements, to ensure that it won't harm you or interact with any prescription drugs.

A safe daily intake of coumarin is established in some European nations. In Germany, this amount is 0.1 mg/kg of body weight.

• To be on the safe side, if you are concerned about coumarin levels, look for Ceylon cinnamon.
• For instance, a study published in June 2018's issue of the Scientific World Journal determined that this cinnamon cultivar was coumarin-free.
• For brewing cinnamon tea, Ceylon cinnamon sticks work well.

If you take any medications or have health issues such as diabetes or liver disease, discuss them with your doctor before taking cinnamon supplements.

Despite the many positive qualities of this spice, most cinnamon varieties have the following drawbacks:

1. Numerous plants, including cinnamon, contain coumarin—a substance that, in high concentrations, can lead to liver damage. Cinnamon rarely contains enough coumarin to be poisonous, but ingesting a lot of it may make liver issues worse in people who already have them.
2. According to a report in the June 2015 issue of Pharmacognosy Research, people who take warfarin and other blood-thinning medications should exercise caution when consuming cinnamon, as high levels of coumarin in cinnamon interfere with blood clotting in these individuals.
3. According to a paper published in Clinical Nutrition in April 2019, allergic responses and gastrointestinal symptoms are the most frequent negative consequences of cinnamon ingestion. Negative effects were transient and self-resolved spontaneously.
4. Coumarin was found to be a possible cause of cancerous tumors in early rodent studies. Because coumarin is metabolized differently by humans and other animals, there are no signs that this is true for people. Despite the severe concern over liver damage, there is no proof that coumarin causes cancer in humans. According to the health advantages described previously, it might even aid in the prevention of some malignancies.
5. Depending on how much cinnamon you consume, it may also lower your blood sugar levels. Although consuming two teaspoons of Ceylon cinnamon powder or steeping a cinnamon stick in tea may not significantly affect blood sugar levels, ingesting Ceylon cinnamon bark oil may cause a sharp drop in blood sugar levels that will leave you feeling dizzy and lightheaded particularly if you take any medications, so take care. You may experience lightheadedness if you add more than two to three drops of Ceylon cinnamon bark oil to your tea or coffee. However, when used sparingly, the flavor it imparts is wonderful.
6. Although cinnamon has a sweet flavor at first, it might initially cause a burning feeling in your mouth. Cinnamaldehyde, a substance found in cinnamon, can make you allergic and lead to mouth sores and other symptoms. Your mouth may develop white patches that might be extremely uncomfortable.
7. Never take dried cinnamon directly. If you want to benefit from its health advantages, always incorporate it into meals or beverages. Consuming directly may lead to an increased risk of choking. Cinnamon fibers can build up in the lungs and cause aspiration pneumonia because the lungs are unable to break them down.