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Cinnamon Spices and Supplements Found to Vary Widely in Levels of Potentially Helpful and Harmful Compounds Reports ConsumerLab.com
White Plains, New York, January 5, 2016 — Cinnamon supplements may be helpful for controlling blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, possibly due to compounds known as proanthocyanidins or PACs. Cinnamon can also contain a potentially toxic and cancer-causing compound known as coumarin. Amounts of PACs and coumarin are normally not listed on labels so, to help consumers, ConsumerLab.com recently purchased and tested cinnamon supplements as well as cinnamon spice powders. According to Nutrition Business Journal, sales of cinnamon supplements have been rising steadily, reaching $40 million in 2014.
ConsumerLab.com tests found over 100 mg of potentially beneficial PACs in some supplements, while others had to less than 1 mg in a daily serving. It's questionable whether those with smaller amounts would be effective. Some extracts actually had much lower concentrations of PACs than plain ground cinnamon bark. ConsumerLab found that you can pay as little as 5 cents or as much as $134 to get the same amount of PACs.
Regarding coumarin, some products had amounts of concern. A single teaspoonful of cinnamon from two of the spices contained amounts above the tolerable daily intake level for adults — and way over that for children if consumed on a regular basis.
ConsumerLab.com also checked products made from cinnamon powder for potential contamination with Salmonella and heavy metals. Spices were additionally checked for filth. All products passed those tests.
The test results and quality ratings appear online in ConsumerLab.com's new Cinnamon Supplements and Spices Review. The report covers seven supplements and three spices selected for testing by ConsumerLab.com, and two supplements which passed the same tests in ConsumerLab.com's voluntary Quality Certification Program. The following products are included in the report: CinnaBetic II Cinnamon, CinSulin, Doctor's Best Best Cinnamon Extract, Finest Nutrition [Walgreens] Cinnamon, Frontier Organic Ceylon Cinnamon Ground, Gaia Herbs Cinnamon Bark, McCormick Ground Cinnamon, New Chapter Cinnamon Force, Simply Organic Cinnamon, Solgar Cinnamon, Standard Process Medi Herb Cinnamon Quills and The Vitamin Shoppe Cinnamon Extract.
In addition to tests and comparisons, the report reviews the clinical evidence for cinnamon, including dosage, safety, side-effects and potential drug-interactions.
Founded in 1999, ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available online and provides immediate access to reviews of more than 1,000 products from over 400 brands. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products.
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ConsumerLab.com tests found over 100 mg of potentially beneficial PACs in some supplements, while others had to less than 1 mg in a daily serving. It's questionable whether those with smaller amounts would be effective. Some extracts actually had much lower concentrations of PACs than plain ground cinnamon bark. ConsumerLab found that you can pay as little as 5 cents or as much as $134 to get the same amount of PACs.
Regarding coumarin, some products had amounts of concern. A single teaspoonful of cinnamon from two of the spices contained amounts above the tolerable daily intake level for adults — and way over that for children if consumed on a regular basis.
ConsumerLab.com also checked products made from cinnamon powder for potential contamination with Salmonella and heavy metals. Spices were additionally checked for filth. All products passed those tests.
The test results and quality ratings appear online in ConsumerLab.com's new Cinnamon Supplements and Spices Review. The report covers seven supplements and three spices selected for testing by ConsumerLab.com, and two supplements which passed the same tests in ConsumerLab.com's voluntary Quality Certification Program. The following products are included in the report: CinnaBetic II Cinnamon, CinSulin, Doctor's Best Best Cinnamon Extract, Finest Nutrition [Walgreens] Cinnamon, Frontier Organic Ceylon Cinnamon Ground, Gaia Herbs Cinnamon Bark, McCormick Ground Cinnamon, New Chapter Cinnamon Force, Simply Organic Cinnamon, Solgar Cinnamon, Standard Process Medi Herb Cinnamon Quills and The Vitamin Shoppe Cinnamon Extract.
In addition to tests and comparisons, the report reviews the clinical evidence for cinnamon, including dosage, safety, side-effects and potential drug-interactions.
Founded in 1999, ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available online and provides immediate access to reviews of more than 1,000 products from over 400 brands. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products.
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