This healthy spice could mess with your medications, scientists warn |

From the burritos you grab from the Mexican food cart on the go to those succulent fajitas you can’t get enough of, and your apple pies, gingerbread, to the morning lattes you devour, this spice is used in almost every food, and the scientists have now found that it could do you more harm than good. A new study found that a common spice can interfere with some of your medications.
A study led by researchers at the University of Mississippi Center found that a spice, used in both savory and sweet dishes, could mess with some of your prescription medications. The study published in Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences found that it could reduce the effects of drugs.
The spice in question is cinnamon. Yes, that’s right. That sweet sprinkle could sour your meds. Cinnamon, which is one of the oldest and most commonly used spices in the world, can weaken the medications. The researchers found that cinnamaldehyde, a primary component of cinnamon, activates receptors that control the metabolic clearance of the medication from the body. This means that, intake of large amounts of cinnamon could reduce the effects of drugs.

“Health concerns could arise if excessive amounts of supplements are consumed without the knowledge of a health care provider or prescriber of the medications,” Shabana Khan, the principal scientist of the centre said in a statement. “Overconsumption of supplements could lead to a rapid clearance of the prescription medicine from the body, and that could result in making the medicine less effective.”

Avoid cinnamon supplements

Apart from its use in elevating taste, cinnamon has a long history of being used in traditional medicine. It has been consumed for years due to its ability to manage blood sugar, boost heart health, and reduce inflammation. However, scientists were unclear about how it functions in the body.
Though the new study points to its potential in messing up with your meds, sprinkling a dash of cinnamon on your morning coffee is unlikely to cause an issue. However, using highly concentrated cinnamon, especially as a dietary supplement, might lead to undesirable effects.
“Despite its vast uses, very few reports were available to describe the fate of its major component, cinnamaldehyde. Understanding its bioaccessibility, metabolism, and interaction with xenobiotic receptors was important to evaluate how excess intake of cinnamon would affect the prescription drugs if taken at the same time,” Khan added.

It is also important to understand that not all cinnamon you use is the same. For instance, cinnamon oil, which is commonly used as a topical antifungal or antibacterial, and also as a flavoring agent in food and drinks, raises no risk of interfering with your meds, adds Amar Chittiboyina, the center’s associate director.

However, cinnamon bark, particularly Cassia cinnamon, which is a cheaper variety of cinnamon that comes from southern China, has high levels of coumarin, a blood thinner, compared to other cinnamon varieties. You are more likely to find ground Cassia cinnamon bark in the grocery stores.
“In contrast, true cinnamon from Sri Lanka carries a lower risk due to its reduced coumarin content. Coumarin’s anticoagulant properties can be hazardous for individuals on blood thinners,” Chittiboyina added.

Bill Gurley, a principal scientist in the center and co-author of the study, noted that more research is needed to completely understand how cinnamon works in our body, and its herb-drug interactions mechanism.
“We know there’s a potential for cinnamaldehyde to activate these receptors that can pose a risk for drug interactions. That’s what could happen, but we won’t know exactly what will happen until we do a clinical study,” he said.

So what does that mean? Should you stop using cinnamon in your baked goods, beverages, and other dishes? Not really. While a little sprinkle of cinnamon won’t hurt, the researchers recommend taking the advice of your doctor in case you are interested in using cinnamon as a dietary supplement.
“People who suffer from chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, asthma, obesity, HIV, AIDS, or depression should be cautious when using cinnamon or any other supplements. Our best advice is to talk to a healthcare provider before using any supplements along with prescription medicine. By definition, supplements are not meant to treat, cure, or mitigate any disease,” Khan said.