Label: Dietary
Supplement Off-label claims: Helps the treatment of diabetes 2, reduces blood sugar
Dosage: 2 capsules, 3
times/day after meals
PN Cinnamon
100
gel capsules
Contents: Cinnamon € 6.50
Label: Dietary
Supplement Off-label claims: Helps the treatment of diabetes 2, reduces blood sugar
Dosage: 1 to
3 capsules, after meals
Is Cinnamon always Cinnamon ?
Cinnamon and
cassia from a Wikipedia
article
The name
cinnamon is correctly
used to refer to Ceylon Cinnamon, also known as "true
cinnamon" (from the botanical name C. zeylanicum).
However, the related species
Cassia (Cinnamomum aromaticum),
Saigon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureiroi) and
Cinnamomum burmannii are sometimes sold labeled
as cinnamon, sometimes distinguished from true cinnamon
as "Chinese Cinnamon", "Vietnamese cinnamon" or
"Indonesian cinnamon." Ceylon cinnamon, using only the
thin inner bark, has a finer, less dense, and more
crumbly texture, and is considered to be less strong
than cassia. Cassia has a much stronger (somewhat
harsher) flavor than Cinnamon and is generally a medium
to light reddish brown, is hard and woody in texture,
and is thicker (2–3 mm thick), as all of the layers of
bark are used. All of the powdered cinnamon sold in
supermarkets in the
United States is actually Cassia. European health
agencies have recently warned against consuming high
amounts of cassia, due to a toxic component called
coumarin.[1]
This is contained in much lower dosages in Cinnamomum burmannii due to its low essential
oil content. Coumarin is known to cause liver and kidney
damage in high concentrations. True Ceylon cinnamon has
negligible amounts of Coumarin.
The two barks, when whole, are easily
distinguished, and their microscopic characteristics are
also quite distinct.
Cinnamon sticks (or quills) have many
thin layers and can easily be made into powder using a
coffee or spice grinder whereas cassia sticks are much
harder, made up of one thick layer, capable of damaging
a spice or coffee grinder. It is a bit harder to tell
powdered cinnamon from powdered cassia. When powdered
bark is treated with
tincture of iodine (a test for
starch), little effect is visible in the case of
pure cinnamon of good quality, but when
cassia is present a deep-blue tint is produced, the
intensity of the coloration depending on the proportion
of cassia.
Cinnamon is also sometimes confused with
Malabathrum (Cinnamomum tamala) and
Saigon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureiroi).
Cinnamon, especially the cheap variety
Cassia (also called Chinese cinnamon, Indonesian
cinnamon, Vietnamese cinnamon) contains a high
concentration of coumarin. In almost all consumer
products the cinnamon used is of the cassia type,
containing this health jeopardizing substance. The
cumarin content of Ceylon cinnamon when compared to the
cassia type varies greatly: while the cassia type
cinnamon contains approx. 2 g coumarin per kg, its
content in the same weight of Ceylon cinnamon is only
approx. 0,02 g which is considered a safe
amount, without health risk.
Ingestion of coumarin into the blood
stream can cause headaches, liver damage and liver
inflammation. According to laboratory tests on rats -
the results of which may with certain reservations be
applied to humans - high dosages of coumarin can even
cause cancer.
In cinnamon it acts like other volatile
oils and once had a reputation as a cure for
colds. It has also been used to treat
diarrhea and other problems of the digestive system.
Cinnamon is high in
antioxidant activity (PMID
16190627,
PMID 10077878). The essential oil of cinnamon also
has
antimicrobial properties (PMID
16104824), which aid in the preservation of certain
foods.[3]
"Cinnamon" has been reported to have
remarkable pharmacological effects in the treatment of
type II diabetes. However, the plant material used
in the study (PMID
14633804) was actually
cassia, as opposed to true cinnamon (see
cassia's medicinal uses for more information about
its health benefits). Cinnamon has traditionally been
used to treat toothache and fight bad breath and its
regular use is believed to stave off
common cold and aid digestion.
Cinnamon is used in the system of
Thelemic
Magick for the invocation of
Apollo, according to the correspondences listed in
Aleister Crowley's work
Liber 777. In
Hoodoo, it is a multipurpose ingredient used for
purification, luck, love and money. Cinnamon is also
used as an
insect repellent.[6]
