How Safe is Your Cinnamon?
I’m a huge cinnamon fan. I shake it in my coffee, smoothies, muffins, stewed apples, and of course, pumpkin pie.
Years ago I mixed it with a little sugar and made cinnamon toast. 
Imagine my shock when I learned that some brands have unsafe levels of lead, a heavy metal that has no business being in a human. (Shout out to Paulette who gave me the tip on this bit of news. Thanks!)
This is a legitimate concern which is why I’m sharing it with you in case you missed it in your news feed.
Consumer Reports tested 36 ground cinnamon products and spice blends containing cinnamon. Of those, 12 of them contained unsafe lead levels. One-quarter teaspoon of any of these brands has more lead than a person should consume in a day.
Heavy metals can accumulate in the body, remain for years, causing serious health issues.
Here is a list of the 12 brands with the highest lead levels, listed from highest lead content on down. If you have one of these in your spice cabinet, throw it out immediately. (Fortunately, the cinnamon I use is not listed.)
- Paras Cinnamon Powder
- EGN Cinnamon Powder
- Mimi’s Products Ground Cinnamon
- Bowl & Basket Ground Cinnamon
- Rani Brand Ground Cinnamon
- Zara Foods Cinnamon Powder
- Three Rivers Cinnamon Stick Powder
- Yu Yee Brand Five Spice Powder
- BaiLiFeng Five Spice Powder
- Spicy King Five Spices Powder
- Badia Cinnamon Powder
- Deep Cinnamon Powder
Here is the list of the 6 cleanest cinnamon brands, containing no lead or posing the lowest risk. 
- 365 Whole Foods Market Ground Cinnamon
- 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Ground Cinnamon
- Loisa Organic Cinnamon
- Morton & Bassett San Francisco Organic Cinnamon
- Sadaf Cinnamon Powder
- Sadaf Seven Spice blend
As we dive into the season of pumpkin spice everything, cinnamon is likely finding its way into more of your favorite treats. Enjoy the cozy comfort of clean cinnamon in all its deliciousness.
Sending love,
Health Coach Carol
“I can’t tell you enough about cinnamon. Cinnamon is an awesome spice to use and it goes great with something like apples in the morning or in a mixture of fruit or in your oatmeal or even in your cereal.”– Emeril Lagasse