A mere sprinkle of spices can transform a dish entirely. Some spices boast exceptional unique flavors and also contain components with potential health benefits. Cinnamon has been highly regarded in many traditional cultures and has even gained attention in modern health trends for its anti-inflammatory or immune-boosting properties.
However, recent warnings and studies have shed light on the lesser-known aspects of this powerful ingredient. While most people are generally considered safe when consuming it in typical cooking quantities, experts express concerns about the potential risks of excessive intake, particularly through supplements or unexpected contaminants that may be present in the spice itself.
Cinnamon—a true kitchen staple, found in everything from warm baked goods to complex savory dishes. Many may also hope it can help regulate blood pressure or reduce inflammation, and research is indeed exploring these possibilities.
But here’s the problem. Food safety experts at Consumer Reports recently issued a serious warning: if you’ve recently purchased cinnamon powder, be sure to check the label. Their tests found that one-third of 36 cinnamon products contained dangerously high levels of lead.
That’s right—lead! They found that in some brands, lead levels were so high that just a quarter teaspoon could exceed the daily safe intake limit, posing a potential health risk. This is particularly concerning for vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women.
Consumer Reports’ investigation identified several specific brands flagged for this excessive lead contamination. These include Paras Cinnamon Powder, EGN Cinnamon Powder, Mimi’s Products Ground Cinnamon, Bowl & Basket Ground Cinnamon, Rani Brand Ground Cinnamon, Zara Foods Cinnamon Powder, Three Rivers Cinnamon Stick Powder, Yu Yee Brand Five Spice Powder, BaiLiFeng Five Spices Powder, Spicy King Five Spices Powder, Badia Cinnamon Powder, and Deep Cinnamon Powder.
The good news is that some brands have taken immediate action. Paras and EGN, which were identified as having the highest lead levels, have announced that they will remove the relevant products from shelves. This clearly demonstrates the importance of these warnings and their potential impact.
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Brand: McCormick
Binding: Grocery Product Group: Grocery
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Thankfully, not all cinnamon products tested positive for high lead levels. Consumer Reports found several brands deemed safe to use, with little to no lead detected. These include Sadaf Seven Spice, 365 Whole Foods Market Ground Cinnamon, Loisa Organic Cinnamon, Morton & Bassett San Francisco 100% Organic Ground Cinnamon, Sadaf Cinnamon Powder, and 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Ground Cinnamon.
Most other brands tested were labeled as “safe for use,” which is reassuring, and this category includes many popular private-label brands from large retailers such as Costco, Walmart, Target, and Trader Joe’s. Therefore, while caution is still advised, safe options are readily available.
You might be wondering how lead ends up in cinnamon. It’s not simply an additive issue. This spice comes from the inner bark of trees, which take over a decade to grow. During their long growth cycle, trees may absorb lead directly from contaminated soil.
This issue is often more severe in regions with lax environmental regulations or where industrial pollution has contaminated soil and groundwater. Since most of the cinnamon we consume is imported, it often comes from countries with weak or poorly enforced regulations on chemical pollutants. This highlights the complex journey our food undergoes before reaching our kitchens.
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The health risks associated with lead exposure should not be underestimated. Lead is one of the most toxic metals known, and even trace amounts can cause serious problems. While we often hear about the dangers of lead poisoning for children, it actually affects people of all ages.
Over time, lead can accumulate in the body and may remain there for years, causing serious harm. In children, lead exposure can lead to cognitive and behavioral issues, developmental delays, and learning difficulties. For adults, lead poisoning is associated with kidney damage, reproductive issues, high blood pressure, and immune system suppression.
However, the story of cinnamon’s potential issues does not end with lead. Researchers at the University of Mississippi conducted a new study focusing on the potential interactions between excessive cinnamon intake and prescription medications. Their findings caution consumers to carefully consider cinnamon usage, especially when exceeding typical culinary quantities.
The study focused on cinnamaldehyde, the primary component responsible for cinnamon’s distinctive aroma and flavor. Researcher Shabana Khan noted, “Despite cinnamon’s widespread use, there are few reports on the metabolic fate of its primary component, cinnamaldehyde.”
Khan explained that understanding how cinnamaldehyde is absorbed, metabolized, and interacts with receptors involved in processing foreign substances (such as drugs) is crucial, “as this helps assess the potential effects of consuming excessive amounts of cinnamon when taken concurrently with prescription medications.”
The researchers first investigated the absorption of cinnamaldehyde in the digestive system. They used laboratory-prepared liquids that simulated the gastrointestinal environment under fasting and fed conditions. This allowed them to observe any potential differences in the absorption process.
They also wanted to determine whether cinnamaldehyde or cinnamon oil would affect the human body’s metabolism of other substances, particularly drugs. To this end, they used human liver cells and intestinal cells to test whether these cinnamon compounds could activate certain proteins known to be involved in drug metabolism.
The research results were quite enlightening. First, they found that cinnamaldehyde was rapidly absorbed regardless of whether a person had eaten or not. This means that it can relatively easily enter the bloodstream. A key finding was that the liver rapidly converts cinnamaldehyde into cinnamic acid, a process that takes only a few minutes. This conversion is crucial because cinnamic acid has the ability to activate receptors in the body involved in drug metabolism. These receptors can be thought of as switches that tell the body how to quickly break down certain substances.
The researchers explained that this activating effect of cinnamic acid suggests that excessive cinnamon intake may ultimately accelerate the body’s clearance of certain prescription drugs, potentially reducing their efficacy. If a drug is cleared too quickly, it may not have enough time to take effect.
In the second part of the study, researchers specifically investigated drug interactions and found that while cinnamon oil and cinnamic acid can activate proteins involved in drug metabolism, cinnamaldehyde alone does not possess this effect. This suggests that the key players in this interaction are the metabolic products cinnamic acid and cinnamon oil.
Additionally, both cinnamon oil and cinnamaldehyde were found to inhibit specific enzymes responsible for breaking down various drugs. This creates a double-edged sword effect: while cinnamic acid may accelerate drug clearance by activating receptors, other components or forms may slow metabolism by inhibiting enzyme activity. This complexity suggests that consuming large amounts of cinnamon (especially in concentrated forms such as supplements) may indeed interfere with the mechanisms of action of certain drugs in the body.
Compounding this issue is the fact that not all cinnamon is the same. Experts note that different types of cinnamon come from different tree species and have different compositions, which can affect how they are absorbed and metabolized in the body.
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Features:
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2. Botanical Name: Cinnamomum zeylanicum
3. Plant Part: Leaves
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For example, cinnamon oil is commonly used as a topical or flavoring additive, and is unlikely to pose the same health risks when used in conventional ways. The main concern lies with cinnamon bark, particularly the most common variety found in supermarkets—Cassia cinnamon.
Cinnamon bark contains high levels of coumarin, a naturally occurring substance with anticoagulant properties. While coumarin is present in certain medications, its high concentration as a widely consumed spice is concerning, as it may cause liver damage at high doses.
This necessitates distinguishing between cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia or Chinese cinnamon) and Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), often referred to as “true cinnamon.” Christina Major, a holistic nutritionist and herbalist, explains, “Almost all cinnamon found in supermarkets and health food stores is a close relative of true cinnamon.”
Key points: “Only true cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) offers health benefits, yet this expensive spice is often illegally substituted with cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia).” Therefore, what you believe to be beneficial for health may actually be a variety with higher coumarin content.
Professor Dipa Kamdar, a pharmacist from Kingston University, also points out that “true cinnamon,” native to Sri Lanka, is the more expensive variety and is associated with various health benefits, such as being rich in antioxidants, having anti-inflammatory properties, helping to regulate blood sugar, and even reducing the risk of heart disease. Meanwhile, the cinnamon commonly found in supermarkets (Cinnamomum cassia) contains high concentrations of coumarin, and using it in large doses may damage the liver.
Professor Kamdar added a concerning point: for certain medications, particularly anticoagulants like aspirin and warfarin, the rapid metabolism triggered by cinnamon not only reduces the drug’s efficacy but may also exacerbate its side effects. Kamdar noted that this poses a potential risk of life-threatening bleeding.
We can still enjoy the joy that spices bring to our tables, but we must clearly distinguish what is suitable for us. This is about finding a balance between enjoying the abundance of the kitchen and protecting our health.
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