Cinnamon

[stina]

A German study has recently been published warning against the overuse of cinnamon. There is an ingredient called Kumarin that is the culprit. Many people do take cinnamon as supplements and it is also part of Policosanol komplex. The report does not go into detail but says that sprinkling it on your morning porridge is o.k, but to take several teaspoons a day could lead to liver damage. Maybe some of you have seen any of these reports too.

[adec]

There should always be an increased concern when supplementing with oil soluble products. But what makes regular cinnamon so great is its broad availability and inexpensiveness. Someone could walk into their local supermarket today, and immediately begin lowering their cholesterol. I believe anyone taking 1000mg a day, or 1/4 a teaspoon is probably safe, over the short term. Although, if you're worried, you can pay a little extra for cinnamon extract with all the oil soluble components removed, and only the water-soluble polymers remaining.

[sos_group_owner]

Hi Stina,

There are several different types of cinnamon. I think Cinnamon in the spice isle is NOT C. Cassia, it's Cinnamomum zeylanicum and is more potent.

C. Cassia is the type used in studies and should be the type contained in capsules available in most drug stores. If you can't find the capsules, use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of powdered (spice isle variety of) cinnamon.

Cinnamon in the form of essential oils is the most potent, should be used with caution and never consumed.

This is an excellent website "all about cinnamon":
[http://www.innvista.com/health/herbs/cinnamon.htm]

Fran

[sos_group_owner]

[http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=68]

[adec]

They say the most commonly sold cinnamon in the US is cassia. And those labeled plain cinnamon are usually either Chinese cinnamon or cassia. You can usually tell the difference between cinnamons by examining the color and level of sweetness.

My mom was too eager to wait, and therefore used 1/4mg daily of household cinnamon (cassia) for almost five months before switching to cinnamon extract. She experienced no ill or toxic effects, and her total cholesterol and especially her triglycerides came down a healthy amount. I was able to monitor her progress weekly using a cholesterol tester.

In many of those recent cinnamon studies, they actually used Cinnulin PF, or pharmaceutical grade water-soluble cinnamon. This is also what is being sold by supplement companies as cinnamon extract under patent by Integrity Nutraceuticals International. Theoretically, Cinnulin has the potential to be as much as 20 times more potent than regular cinnamon without the risk of toxicity. As such, the price is around 20 more than typical household cinnamon.

Look for a product by Planetary Formulas, called Full Spectrum Cinnamon Extract 200mg. You can find this Cinnulin product priced most reasonably at $8 for 120 tabs.... basically a years supply for under thirty dollars. :)

[adec]

[http://www.cinnulinpf.com/]

[sos_group_owner]

Hi "adec",

Which cholesterol tester do you use?

Fran

[adec]

Hi Fran,

I use the CardioChek to monitor my mom's: total cholesterol, hdl, ldl, triglycerides... it can also measure blood glucose and creatine levels. My mom's doctor sometimes uses the very same monitor in-office. He's found it to be very accurate, within +/-1% of the medical lab results.

Too bad the machine itself and test strips are so cost-prohibitive. But it's a very useful tool in determining the best supplements for balancing cholesterol in individual patients. For instance, I was able to determine that flush-free niacin just wasn't as effective as regular niacin on my mom.

Joseph

[sos_group_owner]

Hi Joseph,

Thank you for the info. I see what you mean about test strips being expensive, but at least it's an option.

Fran

[vipergg22]

It is safe if taken responsibly . There is all kinds of information on the Untied States Department of Agriculture website about the efectiveness of cinnamon. this is just one many documents on it over there.
[http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=8877]