As new health crazes pop up endlessly on social media, it can be hard to separate legitimate products and routines from ones that amount to snake oil.
From superfood nutrient powders promising to close gaps in your regular diet, to specialty fitness and care guides “specific” to you, TikTok content creators have long advertised products to their viewers, regardless of their effectiveness.
Thankfully, there are professionals in a variety of fields—health and wellness, fitness, dietitians—ready and willing to dispel any ideas that certain products or practices are enough to achieve near-magical outcomes.
From reassuring viewers of the safety of pesticides to explaining why it is unlikely that a whitening strip would be able to rebuild tooth enamel, the professionals of TikTok are ready to come out of the woodwork to correct any misconceptions users may have.
Should you take cinnamon as a daily supplement?
One not-so-recent trend is supplementing cinnamon on a daily basis to receive antibiotic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory benefits. While doctors do not generally recommend it as a supplement to treat specific concerns, it is frequently recommended online.
There are two types of cinnamon most people have access to, says natural medicine doctor C.M. Curtis (@drccurtis on TikTok). Cassia cinnamon is far more common, and often accessible to the average consumer than ceylon cinnamon, which he recommends over taking the former.
“A lot of people take cinnamon every day to help control their blood sugar, and/or their blood pressure, and there’s plenty of scientific evidence that it works,” he says in a video shared to TikTok. “But there can be a problem, and I want to help clear this up because a lot of people are taking the wrong kind of cinnamon, and it can actually be harmful.”
Why? Because over time, taking cassia cinnamon may backfire on the person taking it, he says.
“Cassia cinnamon is the cinnamon that most people who take cinnamon are taking. The problem is that it can be harmful to the liver, over time,” Dr. Curtis claims. “The type of cinnamon that is best for health purposes is ceylon cinnamon. There’s research showing that ceylon cinnamon has all of the benefits that I just mentioned, without all the side effects.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Dr. Curtis via TikTok direct message, as well as a comment on the video.
@drccurtis Taking the wrong kind of cinnamon can cause liver damage. #cinnamon #cassia #ceylon #ceylon #highbloodpressure #diabetestype2 #antiinflammatory #antioxidant #insulinresistance #hypertension #hbp #highbloodsugar #bloodsugar #bloodsugarbalance ♬ original sound – Dr. C.M. Curtis
Is cassia cinnamon harmful?
The main reason supplementing cassia cinnamon in larger than recommended amounts can be detrimental is due to the compound coumarin, which is found in cassia cinnamon. Coumarin, in large amounts, is linked to liver damage in those with liver disease.
However, this is not to say folks need to throw away their cassia cinnamon—most of the time, people are not intentionally consuming enough cinnamon to lead to excess consumption of coumarin.
Many viewers commented on the video that they were well on board the ceylon cinnamon train, having purchased it in supplementation capsules from places like Costco and Amazon.
“Ceylon cinnamon is sold at Sam’s in capsule,” one commenter wrote.
“I love Ceylon cinnamon and been using about a year now, I even add it to my coffee maker grounds when I brew it,” another said.
“I put a good dash of ceylon cinnamon, cayenne pepper, lemon and honey in my moringa tea that I drink every evening after work,” a third added.
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