2596: Q&A - Cinnamon and Turmeric Health Benefits and Which Supplements to Buy

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[00:01:27] plus plenty of cooler friendly beverages. Make it a hot grill summer at Whole Foods Market. It's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily, episode 2596. And I'm Dr. Neal, your host of the show. Welcome back to another Friday show where I answer your questions.

[00:01:44] On all the other days, I read health and fitness blogs to you like an audiobook, with permission from the authors, of course. Now I'll let you know how you can send in your

[00:01:53] own question at the end of the show and get a copy of our workbook for free. But for now, let's hear today's question and start optimizing your life. Hi, Dr. Neal. I enjoy your podcast. I listen to you every morning. My question is regarding

[00:02:12] cinnamon and turmeric. I put it in my coffee every morning, probably about a half a teaspoon to a teaspoon. And I was wondering if this should be done every day or if there is a certain amount that should be taken. Thank you for your podcast.

[00:02:28] Hi, Dina. Thank you for listening and thank you so much for your kind words. Cinnamon happens to be one of my favorite flavors and turmeric is something I consume regularly. Now whenever I talk about cinnamon, I have to quote the great Jerry Seinfeld.

[00:02:42] People love cinnamon. It should be on tables at restaurants along with salt and pepper anytime anyone says, oh, this is so good. What's in it? The answer invariably comes back, cinnamon,

[00:02:53] cinnamon again and again. I think he needs to update this and give us a quote on turmeric too. Turmeric is not necessarily as tasty, but maybe he could come up with something about its health benefits. Ah, one can only dream. Well, back to your question, Dina. Do turmeric

[00:03:09] and cinnamon have any health benefits? And if so, at what doses? Let's discuss. So I need to start by mentioning there are different types of cinnamon. While they may basically taste the same to us, each species contains a different combination of compounds.

[00:03:24] In the US, the most commonly available forms of cinnamon are cassia, sometimes called cinnamon aromaticum. Then there's cinnamomum bumani, there's cinnamomum lorii and last but not least, the most expensive and least available, Ceylon cinnamon. Sometimes Ceylon cinnamon is known as

[00:03:43] the true cinnamon. I guess I should mention here that I'm not talking about cinnamon sugar. Because ground cinnamon has such a strong flavor, adding sugar to it makes it more appealing to our

[00:03:54] taste buds. But again, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm discussing pure ground cinnamon with no added sugars. So what each of these species have in common is that they contain proanthocyanidins.

[00:04:08] That's a mouthful. So from here on out, I'm just going to call these compounds PACs. PACs are antioxidants that are thought to provide health benefits. PACs aren't just found in cinnamon but in other plant-based foods as well. And again, it's these compounds that may provide those

[00:04:25] wonderful health benefits. Cinnamon also contains cinnamaldehyde which may prevent the growth of bacteria. But like I always say, we need to look at the research and see whether any well-designed studies have been performed to examine the effects of cinnamon on health. Luckily, studies like these

[00:04:42] exist. In fact, cinnamon has been found to help lower blood sugar in those with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes and even those with prediabetes. Since diabetes is a disease where there's too much sugar floating around in the bloodstream, decreasing this amount can be beneficial. There's also some

[00:04:58] evidence to suggest that the antioxidant properties of PACs may help reduce systemic inflammation in the body. And systemic inflammation is thought to cause a number of chronic health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer's disease. So how much cinnamon do you need to consume?

[00:05:15] Believe it or not, just half a teaspoon per day may do the trick. But again, the trick is to consume the Ceylon cinnamon variety specifically. The more commonly found species like Cassia cinnamon may contain high amounts of something called coumarin. Too much coumarin could harm the liver.

[00:05:34] And with supplements, you don't always know which species of cinnamon you're getting. So you may end up consuming lots of Cassia cinnamon which contains higher amounts of coumarin which may then harm the liver. Consuming about 6 milligrams of coumarin per day, which would be like 2 to 3 teaspoons per day,

[00:05:50] could be enough to harm the liver. Ceylon cinnamon on the other hand does not contain high levels of coumarin. That's why I'd recommend Ceylon cinnamon specifically. When it comes to turmeric, there have

[00:06:02] actually been a number of studies on the effects of turmeric and its role in preventing systemic inflammation specifically. Turmeric is that bright yellow spice by the way that's often used in eastern

[00:06:12] dishes. You can purchase this in its powdered spice form or as a dietary supplement. But the quality of turmeric can vary widely across brands, even spice brands. Lead, cadmium, and arsenic, which are

[00:06:26] all potentially harmful, have been found in some of these products. According to one of my favorite sites, consumerlab.com, which is an independent third-party organization that tests for the quality and purity of some of these products on the market, they found that the organic varieties were free

[00:06:43] of these potentially harmful chemicals. So when you purchase turmeric as a spice at your local grocery store, it may be a good idea to buy organic. So how much turmeric do you need to take? It's hard

[00:06:55] to say. Turmeric has been studied as a treatment for a number of conditions, not just systemic inflammation. And the dosages that have been studied vary quite a bit. What I can say is that consuming

[00:07:06] more than 8,000 milligrams of turmeric per day is not advised. That would be like consuming 3 to 4 teaspoons every day. 1 to 2 teaspoons per day seems to be okay for most people. But please know, turmeric can interfere with certain medications and in some people may increase the risk for kidney stones

[00:07:25] and possibly liver damage. So as always, ask your doctor about taking either cinnamon or turmeric. Now, turmeric is not easy for the body to absorb. So to help our bodies absorb it more efficiently,

[00:07:38] it's best to consume it with some fat and black pepper. Also know that turmeric can lose some of its potency when it's heated. And after it's absorbed, the body seems to process turmeric

[00:07:49] fairly quickly. So it's a good idea to consume it twice a day to achieve maximum benefit. So maybe consider consuming a teaspoon of turmeric in the morning and a teaspoon later in the day.

[00:08:01] So the bottom line is this, whether you're using cinnamon as a flavoring, say as a topping on your oatmeal or your baked sweet potatoes, or consuming it as a supplement, be sure the product you

[00:08:12] purchase is made up of mostly Ceylon cinnamon. Consuming half a teaspoon per day will likely do the trick. When it comes to turmeric, ask your doctor if two teaspoons per day would be safe for you

[00:08:23] and think about consuming it twice a day with some fat and black pepper. Oh, and be sure you're buying quality products. That way you'll get the most benefit with a lower risk of some of the potentially

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[00:10:14] hot grill summer at Whole Foods Market. And thank you again so much for the question, Dina. Now, if you want a physical copy of our Optimal Living Daily Workbook shipped to you for free and you're

[00:10:26] in the US, send in a relevant health-related question. It can be about diet, fitness, nutrition, stress management, anything along those lines. And your question will be answered right here on the show. Now, if you're outside the US, we'll send you a digital version of the workbook. So,

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[00:10:57] to record from your computer or you can do it the old-fashioned way and call in your question. The number is 1-61-ILOVE-OHD. That's 1-614-568-3643. Thank you so much for sending in your

[00:11:15] questions. Answering them is my favorite part of the show. All right, that's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily. Thank you so much for listening every day and all the way through.

[00:11:24] I hope you have a great start to your weekend and I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.