9 Side Effects Of Too Much Cinnamon You Should Know

April 5, 2023 by Pranay David

Cinnamon is obtained from the bark of a tree. In foods it is used as a flavoring agent. In fact there are a lot of types of cinnamon. Normally it does not have any major side effects, but if consumed in high dosages, it can lead to fatal consequences. Therefore, we shall be discussing the side effects in detail here to understand the consumption affects of cinnamon better.(1)

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9 Shocking Cinnamon Side Effects

1. Toxicity Accumulation

Consumption of cinnamon over an extended period of time will built up the toxicity levels in the body that could lead to poisoning in the body. Ideally 6 grams daily for 6 weeks a day is recommended and at this level it is safe for most people. But more than that can be extremely toxic.(2)

2. Liver Damage

People who consume cinnamon for diet benefits, it is suggested to consider the alternate type that is the Ceylon cinnamon where the coumarin levels are less. As high levels of coumarin can cause liver problems by getting deposited on it and gradually damaging it if taken in high dosages.(3)

3. Skin Irritation

If you touch cinnamon oil without diluting it, will irritate your skin and pave way for a burning sensation. It will give a feeling of burning like the one you get if you get in contact with chilly powder. So it is better that you wear gloves and do not allow it to spread to hands.(4)

4. Premature Labour

Pregnant women should say a strict no to cinnamon. The reason for it is that the oils can induce premature labour. Though it may reduce stomach pain or gas, but you should not consume it if you are pregnant.(5)

5. Allergies

A small fraction of people may be allergic to cinnamon and this is even so when they have consumed it earlier without any form of side effects. The symptoms may include watery eyes or soreness of eyes along with shortness of breath.(6)

[ Read: Side Effects Of Using Turmeric Powder ]

6. Causes Blood Thinning

Cinnamon is known to thin your blood. This is particularly high when it comes to cassia cinnamon while Ceylon cinnamon does not cause that much thinning of blood. This also works out to be an anti-clotting agent especially for someone who is suffering from heart disease. Therefore cinnamon should not be consumed with any blood thinning medication as it would cause hemorrhage.(7)

7. Fluctuates Blood Sugar

Cinnamon is also known to reduce blood sugar levels, depending on the intake you have. Boiling a cinnamon stick into a cup of tea or 2 teaspoons of it a day is not bound to have too much of an impact. But more than that would make you feel light headed and dizzy as it would result in fluctuating the glucose and sugar levels.(8)

[ Read: Negative Side Effects of Honey ]

8. Increases Heart Rate

Higher doses of cinnamon is dangerous for someone who has a heart disease as cinnamon contributes to higher heart rates. On similar lines undiluted cinnamon oil can lead to higher heart rates when it is the case of children and do take into account that it should be diluted to less than 2 % before it is put to use.

Cinnamon is great ingredient to have but as facts determine that if consumed more it can be bad for your health and the effects stated above prove that it is always good to take in Cinnamon with limits. If while consuming any of the side effects occur, it is advised one seeks for medical attention to curb the effect.(9)

9. Increases Body heat

One should ideally avoid anything that causes body heat, until unless the weather conditions are too cold around. Cinnamon falls in that category which adds to body heat. Hence too much of body heat could affect menstruation cycle in women and also cause an acne outbreak in a few cases.

Scientific Evidence: