2024-03-16 17:00:00
In Spain, cinnamon is mainly associated with the field of baking: it is the essential ingredient in rice pudding, for example. And as with many other condiments that are the focus of food research lately, it is difficult to imagine that this spice could have effects that should be taken into account for the kidneys.
Cinnamon is obtained by peeling and rubbing the branches of the inner bark of the cinnamon tree, which has two variants, Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Cinnamomum cassia, cultivated mainly in Sri Lanka. Cinnamomun trees belong to the Lauraceae family, characterized by the aromatic oils in their leaves and bark, also with healthy properties for human health. About 300 species are known, located mainly in tropical and subtropical regions.
In the case of the cassia variant, it is distinguished by its high content of coumarin, considered especially toxic for liver functions, while, on the contrary, the Ceylon variant has almost imperceptible amounts.
Diuretic properties of cinnamon
Cinnamon infusion has been revealed as an important ally against fluid retention. It would be something like a natural diuretic that helps kidney function in the elimination of salt and water through urine. As a consequence, the arterial system is maintained in the most ideal conditions (less fluid pressure) and, therefore, blood pressure is lowered.
If the process of diuresis or urine excretion becomes complicated, this accumulation of fluid in the body can trigger kidney disorders of varying severity, from kidney and bladder stones, to urinary tract infections.
The negative effect on the liver is studied
The cassia cinnamon variant can contain up to 20 milligrams of coumarin, a toxic substance to be taken into account and that Ceylon cinnamon barely has. According to scientific estimates, the maximum amount of coumarin that the human body can tolerate is 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of body mass.
To talk about poisoning and serious effects on human health, it must be taken into account that these risk estimates are made on high doses. In this line recent studies have stated about the connection between coumarin and liver damage. Likewise, the probability that high intakes of this substance increases the risk of tumors as diverse as the lung or liver has been investigated, although so far only clinical trials have been carried out in mice.
References
Mayo Clinic (sf). Diuretics. https://www.mayoclinic.org/es/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/diuretics/art-20048129
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