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Can the Cinnamon Challenge Kill You? (1080L)

Notes on my thoughts,

There are two species used in the ground cinnamon found in the spice aisle, Ceylon

reactions and questions as I

cinnamon and Cassia cinnamon. Cassia is interesting in that it contains substantial

read:

amounts of coumarin. Coumarin is the parent compound of warfarin (known by its

trademarked name, Coumadin), a medication used to keep blood from clotting.

Coumarin is mighty powerful and can affect blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

In people who are sensitive, coumarin might cause or worsen liver disease.

Due to concerns about the possible effects of coumarin, several years ago the German

Federal Institute for Risk Assessment warned against consuming large amounts of

Cassia cinnamon.

And then there’s the burn. Parenting experts recommend keeping spices out of reach

from children. One of the threats to children who play in the spice cabinet is cinnamon,

which when ingested can cause severe burning of the mouth and throat, requiring

immediate medical attention. The burning may be so severe that the child can suffer

from swelling of the mouth or throat, blocking access to air and potentially leading to

death.

Obviously infants aren’t participating in the dare, and it's highly doubtful we'll witness

an infant cinnamon challenge trend, but it goes to show that cinnamon is a formidable

flavoring. All one needs to see is a few “cinnamon challenge fail” videos on the Web to

view the effect on teens and young adults when the powder is inhaled — which is pretty

much inevitable following the gasps that occur upon the initial burning. Immediate

coughing and choking are de rigeuer.

In many cases, the coughing is so severe that the challengee has difficulty catching his

breath. For anyone suffering from asthma or COPD, this can be very serious. And in

fact, ground cinnamon can lead to a bronchial constriction — according to the

University of Michigan Health System — and that can be life threatening.

Cinnamon also contains as essential oil called cinnamal, which can act as an allergen in

a fair amount of people. Those who are allergic to cinnamon can suffer from contact

dermatitis — and according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, cinnamon

can also cause a severe allergic reaction that can lead to anaphylactic shock. We can

only hope that someone who knows they are allergic to cinnamon would politely

decline the challenge; but for someone who wasn’t aware of the existence or severity of

an allergy, the results could be … challenging.

So, can the cinnamon challenge kill you? Although no accounts of death by cinnamon

have been reported, there are indeed risks — and it seems only a matter of time until the

challenge delivers a fatal blow to some unsuspecting teen.

Breyer, M. Can the cinnamon challenge kill you? Mother Nature Network. February 3, 2012. Retrieved March 20, 2012.

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