Cinnamon Safety Guide: Cautions, Contraindications and Sensible Doses

Before adding Cinnamon to your routine, read this page. It collects the safety findings, the traditional contraindications and the boring-but-important stuff about doses.

What the research says about safety

Worth knowing before you start: prolonged use of cassia cinnamon could be an issue for sensitive people, such as those with liver disease. Ceylon cinnamon may contain a trace amount of coumarin. Some types of topical cinnamon oil or powder may cause skin irritation or contact dermatitis, according to reports. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they are sold to the public.

The traditional warnings

Chinese medicine has its own caution list, based on the herb's nature rather than trials: strongly warming, avoid in heat patterns with fever, red sore throat or hot flashes; pregnant women should keep to food amounts. A practitioner checks your pattern before prescribing precisely for this reason.

Common-sense rules

Keep to food-level amounts unless a practitioner says otherwise, take breaks rather than running any herb continuously for months, and stop at the first sign that something disagrees with you. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, on prescription medication or managing a chronic condition, talk to a professional before starting.

None of this replaces a practitioner who can look at your tongue, feel your pulse and ask awkward questions. Use this as background, not as a prescription.