Spice up your life?
A viral TikTok diet hack claims that adding a teaspoon of cinnamon to your morning coffee along with cocoa can help you burn fat. How legal is the invention?
Cinnamon is made from the inner ground bark of the cinnamon tree and is divided into two distinct types: Cassia and Ceylon.
Cassia cinnamon, the more common of the two, is defined by its bitterness and higher levels of cinnamon, the compound that gives cinnamon its distinctive flavor and aroma.
Conversely, Ceylon cinnamon is slightly sweeter and contains approximately 40% less cinnamon.
A scientific review of cinnamon-based 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 contained cinnamon powder or an extract, mostly focused on people from the Middle East and/or the Indian subcontinent.
Weight loss with cinnamon
Exploring this easy 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.
Indeed, cinnamon has been shown to help reduce the risk of diabetes.
Cinnamon can also improve the body’s ability to break down fat and promote satiety by slowing the rate at which food moves from the stomach to the small intestine.
Kara Collier, a registered dietitian and co-founder and vice president 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 benefits of the spice.
Coffee and cocoa, the other ingredients in the TikTok hack, can also help with weight loss. A study from Harvard’s TH 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 satiety and can help the body maintain a healthy weight.
The dangers of cinnamon
While cinnamon is a key ingredient in many sweet and savory dishes, it poses potential health risks.
So far this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued three alerts about lead and other heavy metal contamination in packaged ground cinnamon sold at popular stores, including Dollar Tree, Patel Brothers and Eurogrocery.
Lead contamination can occur if lead is present in the soil or water where the cinnamon tree grows. In some cases, lead comes from manufacturing, storage, or shipping processes, and in others, lead is mixed with cinnamon to increase color or weight.
Lead aside, some people experience gastrointestinal upset and/or an allergic reaction after consuming cinnamon.
Among the active ingredients in cinnamon is coumarin, a chemical that can cause liver damage in high doses. Cassia cinnamon contains up to 1% coumarin, while levels in Ceylon cinnamon are significantly lower, such as 0.004%.
Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about taking cinnamon, especially if you are taking prescription drugs that may interact with the spice.
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