Ceylon Cinnamon: Why It Matters for Your Health (And Our Applesauce)

How much thought have you ever given cinnamon? Odds are, not as much as it deserves. This subtly-sweet spice can transform any dish, and quality cinnamon is considered one of the healthiest spices in the world. Once considered more valuable than gold, a pinch of cinnamon adds sweetness to your snacks without any extra sugar.

But is your kitchen cinnamon what it claims to be? Depending on where it’s sourced from, there’s a lot of ambiguity about what cinnamon is really composed of, and these differences affect more than just its taste.

Cinnamon: The Variety Makes all the Difference

Whenever you use cinnamon, you’re actually flavoring your food with spicy inner tree bark. The tree species itself depends on what kind you buy. Two of the most common varieties today are cassia cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon.

Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is considered the “true” cinnamon and is the highest quality you can buy. Originating from the inner bark of a Sri Lankan tree, Ceylon cinnamon has a light color, flaky texture, and a subtle yet nuanced flavor profile. Ceylon cinnamon sticks consist of paper-like layers rolled together like a cigar, and they are easily ground into a fine powder.

In contrast, cassia cinnamon, also called Chinese cinnamon, is a cheaper version that comes from a distantly related tree, Cinnamomom cassia. Though cassia accounts for over 90 percent of cinnamon sold in the United States, it’s considered inferior in almost every way. Many people find the flavor to be harsher than Ceylon, and cassia cinnamon sticks are harder and formed into a single layer, making them more difficult to grind at home.

Should you care about the differences between cassia cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon? The U.S. FDA doesn’t seem to think so. They legally allow cassia cinnamon to be labeled the same as Ceylon, even though most of the world considers Ceylon to be far superior. Even so, there are some critical differences between these two substances that you should take note of.

Cinnamon, Coumarin, and Your Health

It turns out that “cheap” cassia cinnamon might take a costly toll on your health, thanks to the presence of coumarin. This natural plant chemical is found within it in high concentrations, and research shows that coumarin acts as a blood thinner, poses toxicity risks to your liver and kidneys, and might act as a carcinogenic. How much coumarin-laced cinnamon is too much?

 

Norwegian-based research reveals that it’s surprisingly simple to overdo your coumarin levels by using cinnamon regularly. For instance, sprinkling some on oatmeal several times a week might not be safe for small children. Though the risk is low that cinnamon-sugar toast will hurt your child, do you really want to feed them a substance known to be inferior? If you have hesitations, Ceylon cinnamon is the smarter choice.

Flush with antioxidant compounds called proanthocyanidins, Ceylon cinnamon will produce positive effects on your metabolism, body weight, digestion, and blood sugar levels, and its coumarin-free properties mean that it’s beneficial for the liver, too. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also evidence that consuming “true” Ceylon cinnamon can enhance cognitive functioning and reduce your brain fog. The research makes things pretty clear; switching to Ceylon cinnamon is a healthier (and tastier) option for your family.

Try Our Ceylon Apple Cinnamon Sauce Today!

While the FDA makes finding foods made with true Ceylon cinnamon far from easy, White Leaf Provisions is committed to providing you with family-friendly foods made with the world’s best ingredients. Our biodynamic-certified apple + cinnamon sauce contains top quality Ceylon cinnamon so you don’t have to compromise on flavor or your health today. Try our applesauce today, and you’ll experience the difference that true cinnamon can make. After just one bite, we bet you’ll never want to go back.