Cinnamon brings flavor to many foods and drinks, but it could also make some prescription drugs less effective, researchers are cautioning.
A team from the University of Mississippi’s National Center for Natural Products Research used simulated gastric and intestinal fluids to test the effects of various cinnamon products.
They found that cinnamaldehyde, a primary component of cinnamon, activates receptors in the body that control drug metabolism. This led them to conclude that consuming large amounts of cinnamon could reduce the impact of various prescription drugs.
“Sprinkling cinnamon on your morning coffee is unlikely to cause an issue, but using highly concentrated cinnamon as a dietary supplement might,” the researchers said. They recommend that people taking medications for chronic diseases or conditions – such as diabetes, cancer, arthritis, hypertension, asthma, obesity, HIV, AIDS or depression – talk with their doctor about cinnamon.
Not all cinnamon products raised concerns, however.
Cinnamon oil, a topical antifungal and antibacterial that’s also used to flavor food and drinks, presents little risk of drug interactions, the researchers found. Cinnamon bark originating from Southern China, meanwhile, contains high levels of the blood thinner coumarin and can be hazardous to people on blood-thinning medications.
The study was published in the journal Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences.
