Sweet Cinnamon vs Regular Cinnamon – Which is Healthier?

10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

Our Verdict

When comparing sweet cinnamon to regular cinnamon, we picked the sweet.

Why?

In this case, it’s not close. One of them is health-giving and the other is poisonous (but still widely sold in supermarkets, especially in the US and Canada, because it is cheaper).

It’s worth noting that “regular cinnamon” is a bit of a misnomer, since sweet cinnamon is also called “true cinnamon”. The other cinnamon’s name is formally “cassia cinnamon”, but marketers don’t tend to call it that, preferring to calling it simply “cinnamon” and hope consumers won’t ask questions about what kind, because it’s cheaper.

Note: this too is especially true in the US and Canada, where for whatever reason sweet cinnamon seems to be more difficult to obtain than in the rest of the world.

In short, both cinnamons contain cinnamaldehyde and coumarin, but:

  • Sweet/True cinnamon contains only trace amounts of coumarin
  • Regular/Cassia cinnamon contains about 250x more coumarin

Coumarin is heptatotoxic, meaning it poisons the liver, and the recommended safe amount is 0.1mg/kg, so it’s easy to go over that with just a couple of teaspoons of cassia cinnamon.

You might be wondering: how can they get away with selling something that poisons the liver? In which case, see also: the alcohol aisle. Selling toxic things is very common; it just gets normalized a lot.

Cinnamaldehyde is responsible for cinnamon’s healthier properties, and is found in reasonable amounts in both cinnamons. There is about 50% more of it in the regular/cassia than in the sweet/true, but that doesn’t come close to offsetting the potential harm of its higher coumarin content.

Want to learn more?

You may like to read:

  • A Tale Of Two Cinnamons ← this one has more of the science of coumarin toxicity, as well as discussing (and evidencing) cinnamaldehyde’s many healthful properties against inflammation, cancer, heart disease, neurodegeneration, etc

Enjoy!

Don’t Forget…

Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

Recommended

  • Celery vs Rhubarb – Which is Healthier?
  • Parent Effectiveness Training – by Dr. Thomas Gordon
    This book, nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, offers valuable tools to resolve conflict and pre-empt it entirely. Get your copy today!

Learn to Age Gracefully

Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:

  • No, your aches and pains don’t get worse in the cold. So why do we think they do?

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    It’s cold and wet outside. As you get out of bed, you can feel it in your bones. Your right knee is flaring up again. That’ll make it harder for you to walk the dog or go to the gym. You think it must be because of the weather.

    It’s a common idea, but a myth.

    When we looked at the evidence, we found no direct link between most common aches and pains and the weather. In the first study of its kind, we found no direct link between the temperature or humidity with most joint or muscle aches and pains.

    So why are so many of us convinced the weather’s to blame? Here’s what we think is really going on.

    fongbeerredhot/Shutterstock

    Weather can be linked to your health

    The weather is often associated with the risk of new and ongoing health conditions. For example, cold temperatures may worsen asthma symptoms. Hot temperatures increase the risk of heart problems, such as arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), cardiac arrest and coronary heart disease.

    Many people are also convinced the weather is linked to their aches and pains. For example, two in every three people with knee, hip or hand osteoarthritis say cold temperatures trigger their symptoms.

    Musculoskeletal conditions affect more than seven million Australians. So we set out to find out whether weather is really the culprit behind winter flare-ups.

    What we did

    Very few studies have been specifically and appropriately designed to look for any direct link between weather changes and joint or muscle pain. And ours is the first to evaluate data from these particular studies.

    We looked at data from more than 15,000 people from around the world. Together, these people reported more than 28,000 episodes of pain, mostly back pain, knee or hip osteoarthritis. People with rheumatoid arthritis and gout were also included.

    We then compared the frequency of those pain reports between different types of weather: hot or cold, humid or dry, rainy, windy, as well as some combinations (for example, hot and humid versus cold and dry).

    Female construction worker clutching back in pain on worksite on cloudy day
    Bad back on a cold day? We wanted to know if the weather was really to blame. Pearl PhotoPix/Shutterstock

    What we found

    We found changes in air temperature, humidity, air pressure and rainfall do not increase the risk of knee, hip or lower back pain symptoms and are not associated with people seeking care for a new episode of arthritis.

    The results of this study suggest we do not experience joint or muscle pain flare-ups as a result of changes in the weather, and a cold day will not increase our risk of having knee or back pain.

    In order words, there is no direct link between the weather and back, knee or hip pain, nor will it give you arthritis.

    It is important to note, though, that very cold air temperatures (under 10°C) were rarely studied so we cannot make conclusions about worsening symptoms in more extreme changes in the weather.

    The only exception to our findings was for gout, an inflammatory type of arthritis that can come and go. Here, pain increased in warmer, dry conditions.

    Gout has a very different underlying biological mechanism to back pain or knee and hip osteoarthritis, which may explain our results. The combination of warm and dry weather may lead to increased dehydration and consequently increased concentration of uric acid in the blood, and deposition of uric acid crystals in the joint in people with gout, resulting in a flare-up.

    Why do people blame the weather?

    The weather can influence other factors and behaviours that consequently shape how we perceive and manage pain.

    For example, some people may change their physical activity routine during winter, choosing the couch over the gym. And we know prolonged sitting, for instance, is directly linked to worse back pain. Others may change their sleep routine or sleep less well when it is either too cold or too warm. Once again, a bad night’s sleep can trigger your back and knee pain.

    Likewise, changes in mood, often experienced in cold weather, trigger increases in both back and knee pain.

    So these changes in behaviour over winter may contribute to more aches and pains, and not the weather itself.

    Believing our pain will feel worse in winter (even if this is not the case) may also make us feel worse in winter. This is known as the nocebo effect.

    Older woman sitting reading book next to wood fire
    When it’s cold outside, we may be less active. Anna Nass/Shutterstock

    What to do about winter aches and pains?

    It’s best to focus on risk factors for pain you can control and modify, rather than ones you can’t (such as the weather).

    You can:

    • become more physically active. This winter, and throughout the year, aim to walk more, or talk to your health-care provider about gentle exercises you can safely do at home, with a physiotherapist, personal trainer or at the pool
    • lose weight if obese or overweight, as this is linked to lower levels of joint pain and better physical function
    • keep your body warm in winter if you feel some muscle tension in uncomfortably cold conditions. Also ensure your bedroom is nice and warm as we tend to sleep less well in cold rooms
    • maintain a healthy diet and avoid smoking or drinking high levels of alcohol. These are among key lifestyle recommendations to better manage many types of arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions. For people with back pain, for example, a healthy lifestyle is linked with higher levels of physical function.

    Manuela Ferreira, Professor of Musculoskeletal Health, Head of Musculoskeletal Program, George Institute for Global Health and Leticia Deveza, Rheumatologist and Research Fellow, University of Sydney

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    Share This Post

  • Cordyceps: Friend Or Foe?

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Cordyceps: friend or foe?

    Cordyceps is a famously frightening fungus. It’s the one responsible for “zombie ants” and other zombie creatures, and it’s the basis for the existential threat to humanity in the TV show The Last of Us.

    It’s a parasitic fungus that controls the central and peripheral nervous systems of its host, slowly replacing the host’s body, as well as growing distinctive spines that erupt out of the host’s body. Taking over motor functions, it compels the host to do two main things, which are to eat more food, and climb to a position that will be good to release spores from.

    Fortunately, none of that matters to humans. Cordyceps does not (unlike in the TV show) affect humans that way.

    What does Cordyceps do in humans?

    Cordyceps (in various strains) is enjoyed as a health supplement, based on a long history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and nowadays it’s coming under a scientific spotlight too.

    The main health claims for it are:

    • Against inflammation
    • Against aging
    • Against cancer
    • For blood sugar management
    • For heart health
    • For exercise performance

    Sounds great! What does the science say?

    There’s a lot more science for the first three (which are all closely related to each other, and often overlapping in mechanism and effect).

    So let’s take a look:

    Against inflammation

    The science looks promising for this, but studies so far have either been in vitro (cell cultures in petri dishes), or else murine in vivo (mouse studies), for example:

    In summary: we can see that it has anti-inflammatory properties for mice and in the lab; we’d love to see the results of studies done on humans, though. Also, while it has anti-inflammatory properties, it performed less well than commonly-prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs, for example:

    ❝C. militaris can modulate airway inflammation in asthma, but it is less effective than prednisolone or montelukast.❞

    Source: Effects of the immunomodulatory agent Cordyceps militaris on airway inflammation in a mouse asthma model

    Against aging

    Because examining the anti-aging effects of a substance requires measuring lifespans and repeating the experiment, anti-aging studies do not tend to be done on humans, because they would take lifetimes to perform. To this end, it’s inconvenient, but not a criticism of Cordyceps, that studies have been either mouse studies (short lifespan, mammals like us) or fruit fly studies (very short lifespan, genetically surprisingly similar to us).

    The studies have had positive results, with typical lifespan extensions of 15–20%:

    Against cancer

    Once again, the studies here have been in vitro, or murine in vivo. They do look good though:

    In vitro (human cell cultures in a lab):

    In vivo (mouse studies):

    Summary of these is: Cordyceps quite reliably inhibits tumor growth in vitro (human cell cultures) and in vivo (mouse studies). However, trials in human cancer patients are so far conspicuous by their absence.

    For blood sugar management

    Cordyceps appears to mimic the action of insulin, without triggering insulin sensitivity. For example:

    The anti-hyperglycemic activity of the fruiting body of Cordyceps in diabetic rats

    There were some other rat/mouse studies with similar results. No studies in humans yet.

    For heart health

    Cordyceps contains adenosine. You may remember that caffeine owes part of its stimulant effect to blocking adenosine, the hormone that makes us feel sleepy. So in this way, Cordyceps partially does the opposite of what caffeine does, and may be useful against arrhythmia:

    Cardiovascular protection of Cordyceps sinensis act partially via adenosine receptors

    For exercise performance

    A small (30 elderly participants) study found that Cordyceps supplementation improved VO2 max by 7% over the course of six weeks:

    Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial and assessment of fermentation product of Cordyceps sinensis in enhancing aerobic capacity and respiratory function of the healthy elderly volunteers

    However, another small study (22 young athletes) failed to reproduce those results:

    Cordyceps Sinensis supplementation does not improve endurance exercise performance

    In summary…

    Cordyceps almost certainly has anti-inflammation, anti-aging, and anti-cancer benefits.

    Cordyceps may have other benefits too, but the evidence is thinner on the ground for those, so far.

    Share This Post

  • The Magic of L-theanine

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    All The Benefits Of Caffeine And More, Without The Drawbacks? What’s The Catch?

    It just takes one extra supplement.

    For many of us, our morning brew is practically a ritual, but caffeine can also cause all kinds of problems ranging from caffeine jitters to caffeine crashes to caffeine addiction and withdrawal. Surely, something could be better?

    Well, yes it could! You doubtlessly know about green tea’s antioxidant properties, but its amino acid, l-theanine (which can be taken as a supplement with coffee, if you don’t enjoy green tea) has so much more to offer:

    • L-theanine has been found to reduce stress responses—and let’s face it, when we most want/need a coffee is often when facing stress
    • It also reduces anxiety, making it a very safe “downer” without the problems of, for example, alcohol—or other potentially addictive substances
    • It’s far more than just that, though! Paradoxically, l-theanine also improves alertness (what other calming things promote alertness? Not so many)
    • Part of its trick is that it also improves accuracy—whereas stimulants like caffeine may produce a twitchy, jumpy, responsiveness, l-theanine’s signature effect is a calm state of sharp readiness. Caffeine works by stimulating the adrenal gland and increasing blood pressure, while simultaneously blocking adenosine receptors so that your body doesn’t notice its own tiredness—which is why you’re likely to crash later, when the tiredness that had been masked, all hits at once. Instead, l-theanine taken with caffeine acts as a moderator of that, making for a longer, gentler curve. In terms of subjective experience, what this can mean for many people is: no more caffeine jitters!
    • All this means that while l-theanine can boost all kinds of cognitive function, including alertness and accuracy, many like to take in the evening as it can also promote a good night’s sleep, ready to be at your best the next day.
    • How much to take? 200mg is a commonly used dosage, which in supplement terms is usually a single capsule. A lot easier to take than the 40 cups of green tea that this dosage would otherwise be!

    Share This Post

Related Posts

  • Celery vs Rhubarb – Which is Healthier?
  • Water’s Counterintuitive Properties

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!

    Have a question or a request? We love to hear from you!

    In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!

    As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!

    So, no question/request too big or small

    ❝Why are we told to drink more water for everything, even if sometimes it seems like the last thing we need? Bloated? Drink water. Diarrhea? Drink water. Nose running like a tap? Drink water❞

    While water will not fix every ill, it can fix a lot, or at least stop it from being worse!

    Our bodies are famously over 60% water (exact figure will depend on how well-hydrated you are, obviously, as well as your body composition in terms of muscle and fat). Our cells (which are mostly full of mostly water) need replacing all the time, and almost everything that needs transporting almost anywhere is taken there by blood (which is also mostly water). And if we need something moving out of the body? Water is usually going to be a large part of how it gets ejected.

    In the cases of the examples you gave…

    • Bloating: bloating is often a matter of water retention, which often happens as a result of having too much salt, and/or sometimes too much fat. So the body’s homeostatic system (the system that tries to maintain all kinds of equilibrium, keeping salt balance, temperature, pH, and many other things in their respective “Goldilocks zones”) tries to add more water to where it’s needed to balance out the salt etc.
      • Consequently, drinking more water means the body will note “ok, balance restored, no need to keep retaining water there, excess salts being safely removed using all this lovely water”.
    • Diarrhea: this is usually a case of a bacterial infection, though there can be other causes. Whether for that reason or another, the body has decided that it needs to give your gut an absolute wash-out, and it can only do that from the inside—so it uses as much of the body’s water as it needs to do that.
      • Consequently, drinking more water means that you are replenishing the water that the body has already 100% committed to using. If you don’t drink water, you’ll still have diarrhea, you’ll just start to get dangerously dehydrated.
    • Runny nose: this is usually a case of either fighting a genuine infection, or else fighting something mistaken for a pathogen (e.g. pollen, or some other allergen). The mucus is an important part of the body’s defense: it traps the microbes (be they bacteria, virus, whatever) and water-slides them out of the body.
      • Consequently, drinking more water means the body can keep the water-slide going. Otherwise, you’ll just get gradually more dehydrated (because as with diarrhea, your body will prioritize this function over maintaining water reserves—water reserves are there to be used if necessary, is the body’s philosophy) and if the well runs dry, you’ll just be dehydrated and have a higher pathogen-count still in your body.

    Some previous 10almonds articles that might interest you:

    Would you like this section to be bigger? If so, send us more questions!

    Don’t Forget…

    Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

    Learn to Age Gracefully

    Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:

  • Easily Digestible Vegetarian Protein Sources

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!

    Have a question or a request? You can always hit “reply” to any of our emails, or use the feedback widget at the bottom!

    In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!

    As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!

    So, no question/request too big or small

    ❝What could be easily digestible plant sources of protein for a vegetarian. My son is a gym holic and always looking for ways to get his protein from lentils other than eggs. He says to reach his protein requirement for the day, the amount of lentils he has to eat is sometimes heavy on the gut. Would really appreciate if you throw some light on this ❞

    Unless one has IBS or similar (or is otherwise unaccustomed to consuming healthy amounts of fiber), lentils shouldn’t be at all problematic for the digestion.

    However, the digestive process can still be eased by (speaking specifically for lentils here) blending them (in the water they were cooked in). This thick tasty liquid can then be used as the base of a soup, for example.

    Soy is an excellent source of complete protein too. Your son probably knows this because it’s in a lot of body-building supplements as soy protein isolate, but can also be enjoyed as textured soy protein (as in many plant-based meats), or even just soy beans (edamame). Tofu (also made from soy) is very versatile, and again can be blended to form the basis of a creamy sauce.

    Mycoproteins (as found in “Quorn” brand products and other meat substitutes) also perform comparably to meat from animals:

    Meatless Muscle Growth: Building Muscle Size and Strength on a Mycoprotein-Rich Vegan Diet

    See also, for interest:

    Vegan and Omnivorous High Protein Diets Support Comparable Daily Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis Rates and Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy in Young Adults

    Don’t Forget…

    Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

    Learn to Age Gracefully

    Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:

  • Resistance band Training – by James Atkinson

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    For those who’d like a full gym workout at home, without splashing out thousands on a home gym, resistance bands provide a lot of value. But how much value, really?

    As James Atkinson demonstrates, there’s more exercise available than one might think.

    Did you know that you can use the same band to strengthen your triceps as well as your biceps, for instance? and the same goes for your quadriceps and biceps femoris. And core strength? You bet.

    The style here is not a sales pitch (though he does, at the end, offer extra resources if desired), but rather, instructional, and this book is in and of itself already a complete guide. With clear instructions and equally clear illustrations, you don’t need to spend a dime more (unless you don’t own a resistance band, in which case then yes, you will need one of those).

    Bottom line: if you’d like to give your body the workout it deserves, this book is a potent resource.

    Click here to check out Resistance Band Training, and get training!

    Don’t Forget…

    Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

    Learn to Age Gracefully

    Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails: