Spice up your life?
A viral TikTok dieting hack claims that adding a teaspoon of cinnamon to your morning coffee alongside cocoa can help you burn fat. How legit is the concoction?
Cinnamon is made from the ground inner bark of the cinnamomum tree and falls into two distinct types: cassia and Ceylon.
Cassia cinnamon, the more common of the two, is defined by bitterness and higher levels of cinnamaldehyde, the compound that gives cinnamon its signature taste and smell.
Conversely, Ceylon cinnamon is slightly sweeter and contains roughly 40% less cinnamaldehyde.
A scientific review of cinnamon-centric weight loss studies found that when participants used cinnamon as a supplement, they lost an average of 1.48 pounds.
The studies, which ranged from two to six months and featured cinnamon powder or an extract, mostly focused on people from the Middle East and/or the Indian subcontinent.
Cinnamon weight loss
In exploring this slight weight loss, research suggests that cinnamon enables blood glucose to enter the body’s cells more quickly, lowering blood sugar and making insulin more effective.
To wit, cinnamon has been shown to help lower the risk of diabetes.
Cinnamon may also improve the body’s ability to break down fat and promote feelings of satiety by slowing the rate at which food moves from the stomach to the small intestine.
Kara Collier, a registered dietitian nutritionist and the co-founder and VP of Health at Nutrisense, previously told The Post that cinnamon also boasts anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, though “more human studies are needed” to determine the full extent of the spice’s benefits.
Coffee and cocoa, the other ingredients in the TikTok hack, may also help with weight loss. A study from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that four cups of joe a day can lower body fat by approximately 4%. Cocoa contains relatively high levels of fiber, which promotes feelings of fullness and can aid the body in maintaining a healthy weight.
Dangers of cinnamon
While cinnamon is a key ingredient in many sweet and savory dishes, it does pose potential health risks.
So far this year, the US Food and Drug Administration has issued three alerts regarding lead and other heavy metal contamination in packaged ground cinnamon sold at popular outlets, including Dollar Tree, Patel Brothers and Euro Grocery stores.
Lead contamination can happen if lead is present in the soil or water where the cinnamon tree grows. In some cases, lead comes from the manufacturing, storage or shipping processes, and in others, lead is mixed with cinnamon to boost color or weight.
Lead aside, some people experience gastrointestinal pain and/or an allergic reaction after consuming cinnamon.
Among the active ingredients in cinnamon is coumarin, a chemical compound that can cause liver damage in high doses. Cassia cinnamon contains up to 1% coumarin, while levels in Ceylon cinnamon are significantly less, like 0.004%.
Talk with your doctor if you have cinnamon intake concerns, especially if you are taking prescription drugs that could interact with the spice.
