Each morning my wife makes a super-shake, based on organic super-powders, including cinnamon, micro algae and probiotics to create a “cinnamon flow”.

But Cinnamon is not something that you can abuse or use foolishly and respect is key to any substance that has medicinal properties. A report published in the journal Pediatrics found that the cinnamon is actually poisoning people, leading to an increase in visits to the ER. Some kids have even ended up on ventilators.

In 2011 the American Association of Poison Control Centers received 51 calls related to the cinnamon challenge. In the first six months of 2012 the number skyrocketed to 178. Thirty of those incidents were serious enough to require medical attention. Doctors have seen everything from burning in the airways and nosebleeds, to vomiting and difficulty breathing.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/consequences-of-the-cinnamon-challenge

Kids were posting on you tube a “cinnamon challenge” which is not recommended. Cinnamon powder contains cellulose which can lodge in the lungs and sits there for a long time. If it’s coated in cinnamon oil that can cause chronic inflammation and even scar the lungs. Doctors say that getting scarring in the lungs is equivalent to emphysema.

Cinnamon is derived from the brown bark of the cinnamon tree. When dried, cinnamon will roll into tubular sticks known as quills but cinnamon is also available in the ground form. There are hundreds of varieties of cinnamon; however the most common varieties are Ceylon and Cassia.

Ceylon cinnamon is regarded as the “true cinnamon”. Ceylon cinnamon is lighter in color and has a sweeter, more delicate flavor. This cinnamon is obtained from the thin inner bark of the plant. Ceylon cinnamon quills can easily be made into powder by using a coffee or spice grinder.

Cassia cinnamon is a medium to light red-brownish color. It is obtained from all the layers of the bark, and therefore tends to be woody in texture. Cassia cinnamon quills are much harder than Ceylon and cannot easily be ground. Most cinnamon sold in North American supermarkets is Cassia cinnamon.

In the end, if you use cinnamon please consult your doctor or do adequate research to see the applications, benefits and dangers.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/homecure/honey.asp
http://page2anesthesiology.org/2012/hot-cinnamon-sticks-and-postoperative-pain-what-makes-incisions-hurt
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/cinnamon-spice.html