Cinnamon has been used around the world for thousands of years, both in cooking and traditional medicine.
But new research from the National Center for Natural Products Research warns that a compound in cinnamon could interfere with prescription medications if taken in large amounts.
In a study published in Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences, scientists from the University of Mississippi found that cinnamaldehyde, the main ingredient that gives cinnamon its flavor and smell, can activate certain receptors in the body.
These receptors help clear drugs from the system. If they are triggered too much, medications may be removed from the body faster than they should be, making them less effective.
Dr. Shabana Khan, a lead scientist on the study, explained that health problems could happen if people take large amounts of cinnamon supplements without telling their doctor. Overconsuming cinnamon could cause important medicines to lose their effect because they leave the body too quickly.
While cinnamon has many health benefits, such as helping control blood sugar, reducing inflammation, and supporting heart health, scientists still don’t fully understand how it behaves inside the body.
Sprinkling a little cinnamon on your coffee or oatmeal is unlikely to cause any problems. The concerns mainly involve taking high doses of cinnamon, especially through concentrated supplements.
Dr. Khan said it was important to study how cinnamaldehyde is absorbed and processed by the body, and how it might interact with receptors that manage other substances, including prescription drugs. Before this study, there was little research available on this topic.
It’s also important to know that not all cinnamon is the same. Cinnamon oil, which is often used on the skin or as a flavor in food and drinks, poses very little risk of affecting medications.
However, cinnamon bark—particularly Cassia cinnamon, which is the cheaper type commonly sold in supermarkets—contains a lot of coumarin, a natural blood thinner. Cassia cinnamon mostly comes from southern China.
True cinnamon, sometimes called Ceylon cinnamon, comes from Sri Lanka. It has much lower levels of coumarin and is considered safer, especially for people taking blood thinners or other medications that affect bleeding. Dr. Amar Chittiboyina, associate director of the center, noted that high coumarin levels could be dangerous for people already taking blood-thinning medicines.
Dr. Bill Gurley, another researcher on the project, stressed that more studies are needed. Right now, they know that cinnamaldehyde has the potential to cause problems with drug metabolism, but they won’t know exactly how serious the risks are until they do clinical trials with people.
Until more is known, the researchers strongly advise people to be cautious. Those who have chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, cancer, HIV/AIDS, obesity, or depression should be especially careful.
They recommend speaking to a doctor before adding cinnamon supplements—or any supplements—while taking prescription medications.
Dr. Khan emphasized that dietary supplements are not meant to treat, cure, or prevent disease. They can be helpful in some cases, but without proper guidance, they might do more harm than good when mixed with medications.
For now, enjoying cinnamon in small amounts in food remains safe for most people. But before turning to high-dose cinnamon supplements for health reasons, it’s important to talk to a healthcare provider first.
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The research findings can be found in Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences.
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