Does the anti-oxi value decrease with age of spice (or berry)? If so, how much? Second, how much is “toxic”? I heard taking more than 1-2 tbsns of cinnamon a day could be toxic. Is one hurting oneself if one takes 2 tbs of all the above mentioned spices a day?
Evan Brand / Originally posted below Antioxidants in a pinch
Answer:
Please see my videos Oxalates in Cinnamon in terms of dosing and The Safer Cinnamon, which compares the safety of the four common types of cinnamon:
- Cinnamomum verum (“True cinnamon,” Sri Lanka cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon)
- Cinnamomum burmannii (Korintje or Indonesian cinnamon)
- Cinnamomum loureiroi (Saigon cinnamon or Vietnamese cinnamon)
- Cinnamomum aromaticum (cassia or Chinese cinnamon)
I’m working on a followup video for 2013 to review new evidence that Ceylon cinnamon may not be as effective in lowering blood sugar than the more concerning cassia.
Image credit: CINNAMON VOGUE / Flickr
