Cinnamon bark is one of the state of art spice of Indian cuisine with medicinal importance. Among the multiple varieties, the commonly available cinnamon is Cinnamomum verum (Ceylon cinnamon) and Cinnamomum aromaticum (Cassia cinnamon or Chinese cinnamon) which are used to treat several ailments like diabetes, stroke and complications of gastrointestinal tract.
Although cinnamon is quiet safe however it has also another face which reflects few of its side effects. While consumption of cinnamon in small amount is considered safe, its large intake can pose adverse effects. We have listed down some of the common side effects of cinnamon consumption:
It may dilute the blood
Consuming high amount of cinnamon may thin your blood. If you are consuming Cassia Cinnamon you are actually at greater risk. Cassia Cinnamon has a blood thinning acapacity and is used for patients suffering from heart diseases. One must strictly avoid cinnamon consumption if he or she is on other blood thinning medication.
It may cause allergy
Some people may develop random allergy after consuming cinnamon with symptoms like running nose, sore eyes, upset stomach, breath shortening. In worst conditions, it may give you nausea, disturbed heartbeat, confused mental status or sudden drop in blood pressure. However, this allergy may last for few hours and are not life threatening. In infants and toddlers it may develop a reaction after an oral consumption.
Avoid if you are pregnant or nursing mothers
It is suggested that pregnant women should avoid consuming cinnamon powder or oil, as it may induce contraction of uterine muscles or induction of premature labor. Cinnamon is well known for its properties in reducing gastric problems and helping indigestion, but it must be avoided if you are pregnant.
If you are a nursing mother you must avoid consumption of cinnamon powder as well as its oil. Cinnamon may be allergic to your baby as it may pass to your baby through milk. It is recommended to completely avoid cinnamon in any food or beverage if you are pregnant or breast feeding.
Be careful if you are diabetic
Cinnamon is very famous remedy to deal diabetes and is known to regulate the blood sugar levels. Be careful as it may drastically reduce the levels of glucose in your blood. If you have planned for any surgery, you must stop consuming cinnamon 15 days before the scheduled date. Blood sugar fluctuation pre or post surgery may be life threatening.
Interfere with certain medication
The most alarming side effect of cinnamon consumption is its interaction with certain drugs like glimepiride, insulin, pioglitazone, tolbutamide and many more. If you are on an antibiotic medication stop cinnamon consumption immediately as it may conflict with the antibiotic dose resulting in severe side effects.
Regular consumption increases toxic accumulation
Yes…. hard to believe, but true. It is found that daily consumption of cinnamon to a significant amount may increase the toxicity of few chemicals in your body to a certain extend. Except Ceylon Cinnamon, all other types of cinnamon contain coumarin. Coumarin is known to cause liver failure if taken daily or in high doses.
