Given its mixed scientific results, cinnamon seems unlikely to make a significant impact on your health, especially in the smaller amounts that most people are likely to add to their meals. But even so, there’s good reason to sprinkle it on toast, add it to tea or coffee, or mix it into oatmeal or yogurt anyway, says Sandra Arévalo, RDN, MPH, CDCES, the director of the Jacob’s Family Pride Wellness Center at Montefiore Nyack Hospital in New York.
“I recommend cinnamon and nutmeg to add flavor to desserts and other sweet treats while reducing the amount of sugar used in the recipe,” she says.
Cinnamon supplements, on the other hand, make it easier to consume larger amounts of it. They can contain as many as 6 g (1¼ tsp) per dose, according to some studies. But taking supplements comes with some risk. Unlike prescription and over-the-counter medications, supplements are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and their manufacturers are not required to provide evidence of their safety or efficacy.
If you decide to try cinnamon supplements, Arévalo cautions against consuming too much, since they can cause gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or heartburn.
“There are studies that show cinnamon can also affect the liver when taken in large doses because of the effects of a component in cinnamon called coumarin,” she says. A small percentage of people may be especially sensitive to liver damage from to coumarin consumption.
Check with your doctor to ensure that cinnamon supplements won’t interact with any other medicines or supplements you take. If they won’t, look for a supplement that’s been third-party tested by NSF, ConsumerLab, or U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP).
