If you prefer herbals instead of markets because of the thought that they are fresher and healthier when buying spices, beware! Spices sold in herbalists can pose a risk. Cinnamon, which is sold in the open and known as Vietnamese cinnamon, can cause internal bleeding and brain hemorrhage due to the presence of coumarin, a substance that is blood thinner and can increase liver enzymes.
CHINESE CINNAMON HAS HARMFUL EFFECTS
Phytotherapy Specialist Ümit Aktaş, who warned about Vietnamese cinnamon, which is preferred by sellers because of its low cost, said, “Cinnamon is a medicinal plant. Cinnamon itself was not a poisonous plant. There are two types used. Ceylon and cassia. Ceylon cinnamon has a more pleasant aroma and a better taste. That’s why it’s used in foods. Cinnamon has a higher active ingredient and a different flavor than Ceylon cinnamon. Because cinnamon is an expensive plant, it is prepared in different ways. These come from Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Vietnam. Actually, the same cinnamon plant, but, “The processing methods are different. These cinnamons are made from the woody part of the cinnamon plant. In Ceylon cinnamon, this woody part is removed. Normally, the woody part is not used. But they also use the woody parts to make more profit,” he said.
HIGH COMMUNICATION IS LIFE DANGER
Aktaş said, “Ceylon cinnamon is sold for 100 liras if it costs 10 liras, and Chinese cinnamon is sold for 100 liras if it costs 1 lira. Citizens who do not know real cinnamon naturally do not know which cinnamon they buy. There is ‘ogenol’ in it, which gives flavor to cinnamon. However, this woody part is high in amount. Contains coumarin. Coumarin can be life-threatening due to a substance that can thin the blood and increase liver enzymes. However, this substance is almost absent in Ceylon cinnamon. Exposure to high amounts of coumarin can cause bleeding disorders and liver failure. It is toxic in pregnant women, pregnant women should not use it. “Diabetes patients use it in large quantities to lower their blood sugar levels. They need to be very careful,” he warned.
THINK BEFORE YOU TAKE LIGHT SPICES
“The herbalists should be inspected. The sale of wrong herbs should be prevented. My advice to the citizens is that they do not buy open plants. Herbalists sell spices, their job is not to give treatment. They should only trust their doctors. Therefore, cinnamon should be consumed in closed packages, in which it is clear that it is medicinal cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon. “Do not trust any cinnamon you buy open. There is mixing in all powdered spices. They are trying to increase the amount of precious spice by putting a worthless spice in it. Various powders are used according to the spice it is used for. Many powders are used, from tile powder to flour.”
CAN CAUSE INTERNAL BLEEDING
Making a statement on the subject, chemist and herbalist Şems Arslan said:
“Cinnamon has hundreds of benefits, as well as the wrong cinnamon. There is a lot of coumarin in especially dark cinnamon. Dark-colored coumarins can cause internal bleeding. It is not recommended for pregnant women before and after pregnancy. We recommend light-colored ones. Not cinnamon powder. In powders. It can be a mixture because it is a golden plant. When you see the light-colored one, know that there is not much coumarin in it. Doctors do not recommend cinnamon containing coumarin. It is necessary to consume, especially in pregnant women, those who are prone to cerebral hemorrhage and heart patients, after consulting a doctor. Selling such valuable plants cheaply “Even a gram of these is worth gold. It is also very important to preserve the cinnamon. The cinnamon you buy in a bag should be put in a glass jar at home. It should be stored in a cool and dark place.”
Herbalists, on the other hand, say, “To distinguish a good cinnamon, it is necessary to crush it. When you crush it, a pleasant smell spreads. Its aroma becomes better after brewing.”