The Health Dangers of Cassia Cinnamon

Though you might be well aware of the delicious taste and health benefits that cinnamon brings, you may not realize that there are many different varieties of the spice. Some of these are really healthy, benefiting your blood sugar, heart health and dental health, yet the majority of the cheap cinnamon on the market in the US today contains a high proportion of coumarin, which is known to be toxic for your liver. 

 

So, if you've been increasing your cinnamon intake after hearing of its wonderful health benefits, you will want to know more about how you can avoid eating the wrong kind of cinnamon, and why you should do so.

 

Types of Cinnamon

 Though there are some 13 varieties of cinnamon available to purchase, we can group these into two clear categories: cassia and verum. Verum is the Latin word for ‘true’ because this cinnamon group is the real deal and comes from Sri Lanka. Thus it is usually referred to as Ceylon Cinnamon. Everything good you have heard about the spice can be attributed to Ceylon or verum cinnamon.
Cassia Cinnamon, on the other hand, derives from three different regions: Vietnam, China, and Indonesia. Most commonly used for flavoring, cassia now dominates the cinnamon market in the US because of its cheap cost, though its use has been severely restricted and partially banned in the EU due to real concerns about its poisonous health effects. Thus far, there is no sign that cassia’s sale will be restricted in the US.
The health dangers of cassia
Cheap and hard cassia contains between 2 to 8% of a phytochemical called coumarin, a dangerous ingredient of rat poison, which has been shown to cause cancer in rodents. According to the BFR in Germany, coumarin taken in even low doses can lead to liver damage, as listed below:   
•  Mild symptoms could see an increase in the number of liver enzymes in the blood.
•  Extreme cases can see liver inflammation manifested as jaundice.
•  Cassia has strong anticoagulant properties that prevent the blood from coagulating after an injury.

So far, it is thought that these detrimental liver effects are reversible.

 

Cut down on Cassia and seek out Ceylon cinnamon

The BFR advise that those who use cassia moderately in cooking are not at great risk of liver damage. They estimate that a person weighing 60kg can consume 6mg of coumarin every day without concern. However, it is quite tricky to ascertain how much coumarin is contained with the cassia you use in your kitchen. 

The BFR suggest that those who are used to consuming cinnamon frequently, for example in rice puddings, cinnamon rolls or coffee, should immediately switch to Ceylon (Verum) cinnamon which contains very low levels of coumarin. It may, however, be more expensive.

When shopping for cinnamon, bear the following differences in mind: Ceylon (verum) looks more like a cigar. It's quite slender and brittle. Cassia looks like two scrolls pushed together. It is thick and hard to break.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                        PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/  

FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                                                              https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                              
FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 https://my crochet creations.blogspot.com  

 

 

Migraine may up cardiovascular diseases

People who suffer from a migraine may be at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases including heart attacks, stroke, blood clot and an irregular heart rate, researchers say.

Around one billion people worldwide are affected by a migraine. It has a considerable impact on quality of life and imposes a substantial burden on society.

Although the absolute risks were low, the findings suggest that “a migraine should be considered a potent and persistent risk factor for most cardiovascular diseases in both men and women”, said researchers.

Migraine’s association with cardiovascular disease risk can be attributed to the increased use of anti-inflammatory drugs, by the patients suffering from the headache disorder.

Anti-inflammatory drugs are associated with increased risks of heart problems, while immobilisation related to migraine attacks may be behind the increase in the risk of blood clot.

Current guidelines do not recommend the use of anti-clotting drugs such as aspirin to treat a migraine, but clinicians need to “consider whether patients at particularly high risk of heart disease would benefit from anticoagulant treatment”, the researchers said.

For the study, the team compared data from over 51,000  people who had been diagnosed with a migraine with over 510,000 who were a migraine-free over a 19 year period, from 1995 to 2013.

While a link between a migraine, stroke and heart attacks, have been previously established, the new study showed that a migraine also was positively associated with a blood clot and irregular heart rate.

For example, for every 1,000 patients, 25 patients with a migraine had a heart attack compared with 17 a migraine-free patient while 45 patients with a migraine had an ischaemic stroke (blood clot in the brain) compared with 25 a migraine free patients, the study showed.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.    

PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-                      
HTTP:GSEASYRECIPES.BLOGSPOT.COM/

FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                        

HTTP://KNEE REPLACEMENT-STICK CLUB.BLOGSPOT.COM/
FOR CROCHET DESIGNS
HTTP://MY CROCHET CREATIONS.BLOGSPOT.COM

Blood thinner futile for pregnant women

A daily injection of blood thinner for pregnant women at risk of developing blood clots in their veins - a condition called thrombophilia - has been found to be ineffective, a new study showed.

For two decades. women have often been prescribed the anticoagulant low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) to prevent pregnancy complications caused by placental blood clots.

This treatment requires women to give themselves daily injections - a painful process that requires women to poke their abdomen with hundreds of needles over the course of their pregnancy.

Now, a randomised clinical trial led by Marc Rodger, a senior scientist at Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, has provided conclusive evidence that the LMWH anticoagulant has no positive benefits for the mother or child.

"The LMWH treatments could actually cause pregnant women some minor harm by increasing bleeding, increasing their rates of induced labour and reducing their access to anesthesia during childbirth," Rodger and his team claimed.

Rodger's clinical trial took 12 years to complete and involved 292 women at 36 centres in five countries.

As many as one in 10 pregnant women have a tendency to develop blood clots in their veins.

"These results mean that many women around the world can save themselves a lot of unnecessary pain during pregnancy," Rodger added.

"The findings will benefit many women in many countries who will be spared from hundreds of unnecessary and painful injections. They also underscore the importance of conducting rigorous, well-designed clinical trials," said Duncan Stewart, chief executive officer of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.

PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-

HTTP:GSEASYRECIPES.BLOGSPOT.COM/

FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-

HTTP://KNEE REPLACEMENT-STICK CLUB.BLOGSPOT.COM/

FOR CROCHET DESIGNS

HTTP://MY CROCHET CREATIONS.BLOGSPOT.COM