Cinnamon a health pill, says study

Health

How much should you have?

Cinnamon has a strong flavour and the purer the cinnamon is, sharper is its flavour. It's needed in very small amounts and it isn't wise to over-consume cinnamon for two main reasons.

One, cinnamon contains a compound called coumarin, which is possibly toxic to humans. Many experiments have found it to be harmful to rat's livers and it is assumed to have a similar effect on humans.

The European Food Safety Authority has set the safe amount of cinnamon to half a teaspoon (2.5g) per day for someone weighing 75 kilos to prevent potential coumarin poisoning.

And two, studies have shown that increasing the intake of cinnamon doesn't increase its benefits in the same proportion; 1 gram a day is enough to see any visible results.

Also, if one is already on medication or insulin for diabetes, then they should be careful as too much cinnamon intake could cause hypoglycaemia,

include cinnamon in your diet, especially if you like its flavour. Being a spice, it's often used to season foods, both savoury and sweet. One of the easiest ways to include it in a diet is by adding a bit to beverages; coffee, tea (even green tea), smoothies, hot chocolate and even in soups and stews.

It also goes particularly well with breakfast foods, like fruits, porridge, yogurt, oatmeal and even eggs! Plus, if you have it in the morning, then you'll be enjoying its digestive benefits all day.