There is increasing interest in the power of spices for promoting health. Research on spices has also been growing, with scientists documenting their value in blood sugar control, for example (Food Chemistry, Feb. 15, 2017). Animal research illuminates a wide range of activity for cinnamon. As one instance, mice given cinnamon distinguished more reliably between familiar and novel objects placed in their environment (Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences, July, 2016). This suggests that cinnamon can improve memory in mice.
Does it mean we should all be drinking cinnamon tea?
Is There a Downside to Cinnamon Tea?
Q. I’ve been reading about cinnamon on your website. I’m 33 years old and healthy, so I take no medication.
I like to have a cinnamon tea made with a cinnamon stick in hot water with lemon in the morning. Is drinking this on a daily basis bad for me?
A. Cinnamon tea with lemon should not pose a problem. What we worry about with cinnamon is that the coumarin in cassia cinnamon (the usual spice) could harm the liver. Your liver is safe if you stick to one cinnamon stick in a cup of water because coumarin is not water-soluble. By making cinnamon tea as you do, you get the benefits of controlling cholesterol (European Journal of Nutrition, April, 2016). The coumarin doesn’t get into your tea to pose a risk.
Be aware, though, that cinnamon tea could cause mouth irritation in sensitive individuals. We have heard from people who cannot tolerate cinnamon-flavored toothpaste and others who break out in a rash when exposed to cinnamon.
Lemon in Water:
We have heard from people that lemon juice in hot water is an old-fashioned approach for regularity. Folk wisdom attributes many other benefits, such as boosting immunity and healing the liver. We haven’t been able to find research confirming those properties. However, hesperetin from lemons and other citrus fruits protects liver cells from injury (British Journal of Pharmacology, Oct. 7, 2016). Consequently, cinnamon tea with lemon sounds like a lovely morning beverage for those who prefer to avoid the caffeine in coffee or tea.
