Is Your Cinnamon Fake?

 

 

 

…..the answer is the cinnamon on the left, the lighter, Ceylon Cinnamon is real, which means most of us have been using the Cassia Fake cinnamon mainly grown in China. No big deal, now that we know, let's get on the right track.

 

 

 

Real Cinnamon

Ceylon cinnamon has been hailed as the "true cinnamon" or the "real cinnamon" that possesses outstanding health benefits especially for the diabetics and those challenged by obesity and high cholesterol issues. Unfortunately this cinnamon which is native to Sri Lanka and sourced from the plant Cinnamomum zeylanicum is rather unknown to most people. In the United States and many parts of Asia, what the majority of us have been buying from the Supermarket and groceries and consuming is actually not the real cinnamon but Cassia cinnamon, which comes from a different plant called Cinnamomum cassia, also known as Chinese cinnamon that are mostly cultivated in China and Indonesia. While the two species of cinnamon share certain characteristics such as antimicrobial, and in terms of inhibiting the growth of fungi and yeast, and regulating blood sugar, their contents differ much in terms of the amount of coumarin, which is a naturally ocurring substance with strong blood-thinning properties. The coumarin level in Ceylon cinnamon is negligibly small, while that in Cassia cinnamon is an appalling 1200 times higher. The ingestion of large amount of coumarin or consumption of coumarin over a prolonged period of time can cause serious health damages and a negative impact on the liver and kidney. German FDA has warned against consuming the excessive intake of Cassia bark due to its coumarin content.

Ground Cinnamon

Because there is no way to tell if the cinnamon powder has been made from the Ceylon or true cinnamon versus the Cassia cinnamon, and most bottles of cinnamon we buy (including the bottle I currently have in my kitchen) do not indicate the type of cinnamon tree the cinnamon is sourced from. In many countries this Ceylon cinnamon is just not imported in the country. Check directly with the supplier to ascertain its origin of the cinnamon before buying the cinnamon powder. And my review of the two types of cinnamon powder? When the packages (ground and sticks) were air-freighted to me, I immediately opened one up and took a sniff of the powder. WOW BANG! It was exactly like how others have described it! The aroma was sweet enough to make you fall in love with it immediately. Its pleasant fragrance was a heaven and earth difference from the harsh, pungent Cassia cinnamon I had always known. Never did I ever expect cinnamon could smell so delightful. Immediately I was able to imagine the vast difference in taste it would make for baking pastries and cakes. Before that, I was never able to understand how one could make their own Christmas ornaments with Cinnamon sticks or allow the natural fragrance of cinnamon to fill their home. Now with just one sniff of the Ceylon cinnamon, I could make all those connections straight away. What a lovely discovery!

Cinnamon Sticks

As for the cinnamon sticks, there are several ways of determining whether you are getting the real deal. I've taken a picture of the two types and placed them side by side. Study the following table and check the cinnamon sticks in your kitchen right away to find what you have been eating all this time.

Amazed by the differences? I am! Spread the word around, too few people know about this. Tell your family and friends about this real cinnamon, they'll appreciate it!

 

 

 

 

I suppose this is only relevant when you get to the same level with cinnamon as with high octane gasoline or fine wine or whatever. Meaning, when one really wants to get into the true health and healing properties of this superfood, take advantage of the real essential oils from ancient Ayurvedic formulas, as I have got amazing results from my pre-shave Facial mask, as well as the amazing properties of cinnamon as a health food (especially when combined with honey), like in my Electrolyte Water for workouts, or simply added to straight to food, then you'll probably want to take your cinnamon a little more seriously.

 

 

 

Actually it's perhaps easier than that because Whole Foods and other stores carry Ceylon Cinnamon, you really just have to read the label (assuming the company is legit), if it doesn't specify, it's probably Cassia cinnamon. I have seen and acually bought Vietnamese Cinnamon also, but it seems that is in the same vein as Cassia Cinnamon.

 

Buy Frontier Herbs organic cinnamon

 

 

 

~stay healthy~