Is Your Cinnamon Toxic?

I had no idea that Cinnamon - the healthy alternative to sugar - could be toxic!  Read to the end to find information on the "good cinnamon - celon cinnamon".
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(from Wikipedia)
Coumarin is moderately toxic to the liver and kidneys, with an LD of 275 mg/kg—low compared to related compounds. Although only somewhat dangerous to humans, coumarin is a potent rodenticide: rats and other rodents largely metabolize it to 3,4-coumarin epoxide, a toxic compound that can cause internal hemorrhage and death. Humans largely metabolize it to 7-hydroxycoumarin, a compound of lower toxicity. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has established a tolerable daily intake of 0.1 mg coumarin per kg body weight, but also advises that, [if] this level is exceeded for a short time only, there is no threat to health. For example, a person weighing 135 lbs or about 61 kg would have a TDI of approximately 6.1 mg of coumarin.


European health agencies have warned against consuming high amounts of cassia bark, one of the four species of cinnamon, because of its coumarin content. According to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, 1 kg of (cassia) cinnamon powder contains approximately 2100 to 4400 mg of coumarin. Powdered Cassia Cinnamon weighs 0.56 g/cc; therefore, 1 kg of Cassia Cinnamon powder is equal to 362.29 teaspoons (1000 g divided by 0.56 g/cc multiplied by 0.20288 tsp/cc). This means 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder contains 5.8 to 12.1 mg of coumarin, which may be above the Tolerable Daily Intake for smaller individuals. However, it is important to note that the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment only cautions against high daily intakes of foods containing coumarin. Chamomile, a common herbal tea, also contains coumarin.

Coumarin is often found in tobacco products and artificial vanilla substitutes, despite having been banned as a food additive in numerous countries since the mid-20th century. Coumarin was banned as a food additive in the United States in 1978. OSHA considers this compound to be only a lung-specific carcinogen, and "not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans". Coumarin was banned as an adulterant in cigarettes by tobacco companies in 1997, but due to the lack of reporting requirements to the US Department of Health and Human Services it was still being used as a flavoring additive in pipe tobacco.

Coumarin is currently listed by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) among "Substances Generally Prohibited From Direct Addition or Use as Human Food", according to 21 CFR 189.130, but some natural additives containing coumarin (such as Sweet Woodruff) are allowed "in alcoholic beverages only" (21 CFR 172.510). In Europe, such beverages are very popular, for example Maiwein (white wine with woodruff) and Żubrówka (vodka flavoured with bison grass).
Coumarin should be avoided by people with perfume allergy.

Related compounds and derivatives

Compounds derived from coumarin are also called "coumarins". Compounds within this coumarin family include:

• brodifacoum^[18][19]
• bromadiolone^[20]
• coumafuryl^[21]
• difenacoum^[22]
• auraptene
• ensaculin
• phenprocoumon (Marcoumar)
• Scopoletin can be isolated from the bark of Shorea pinanga^[23]
• warfarin

Many of the above compounds (specifically the 4-hydroxycoumarins) are used as anticoagulant drugs and/or as rodenticides which work by the anticoagulant mechanism.

Use as pesticides

Coumadins, dicoumerol derivatives of coumarin, are potent rodenticides because they block the synthesis of vitamin K, especially in rodents, giving it strong anticoagulatory and rodenticidal properties. Death occurs after a period of between several days to two weeks, usually from internal hemorrhaging.
Vitamin K is a true antidote for poisoning by coumadins such as bromadiolone. Treatment usually comprises a large dose of vitamin K given intravenously immediately, followed by doses in pill form for a period of at least two weeks, though usually three to four, afterwards.

THE RIGHT KIND OF CINNAMON - CELON CINNAMON IS GOOD FOR YOU! 
Watch Jorge Cruise in this short video discussing the difference between cinnamons.
http://jorgecruise.com/freeemailclub/2010/5/6/is-the-cinnamon-in-your-pantry-harming-you.html

Go here to find a source for purchasing Celon Cinnamon.
http://www.google.com/products?q=ceylon+ground+cinnamon&hl=en&price1=&price2=20.00&lnk=prsugg&show=dd

Be well ~
Mary
MarysLifeForce@gmail.com, http://www.NoMorePills.us