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Cinnamon is dried inner bark, sold as sticks or ground. Mild Ceylon or stronger, cheaper cassia? Cassia contains a lot of coumarin – for daily use, pick Ceylon.
Cinnamon stands out less for large serving sizes than for its nutrient density per 100 g. Among other things, it contains manganese, which contributes to normal energy metabolism, and calcium, which is needed for the maintenance of normal bones and teeth. It also contains iron, which contributes to normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin. In practice, the amounts you eat are usually small, so cinnamon is mainly a spice that adds some nutrients, not a main source of these micronutrients.
Cinnamon tastes warm, sweet-spicy and slightly woody. Ceylon cinnamon is finer and more delicate; cassia is stronger, sweeter and a little sharper. In sweet dishes it goes particularly well with apple, pear, cocoa, vanilla and nuts; in savoury dishes it suits rice, lentils, lamb or squash. Too much cinnamon works less well in very delicate, mild dishes, because it quickly drowns out everything else.
Studies look at cinnamon in connection with glucose metabolism, among other things. However, the results from human studies are mixed, and they don't support a general statement that cinnamon has an effect on blood sugar. For everyday cooking, it matters more to see cinnamon as a spice – not as a replacement for medical treatment or a balanced diet. What is well established is that Ceylon and cassia cinnamon differ considerably in their coumarin content.
About ½ to 1 tsp per dish or recipe is typical; if you use it regularly, Ceylon cinnamon is the more practical choice.
As a dried spice, cinnamon can be used without heating, but go easy on it because of its intensity and, with cassia, because of its coumarin content.
Cinnamon is not one of the 14 major allergens in the EU, but in sensitive people it can irritate the mucous membranes or not agree with them. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, have liver disease or regularly eat a lot of cinnamon, it makes sense to talk to your doctor.
Some studies link cinnamon with changes in glucose metabolism. However, the results aren't consistent, and where there are effects, they're usually moderate. Cinnamon is no substitute for medication or medical care.
For regular use, Ceylon cinnamon is usually the better choice, because it contains much less coumarin. Cassia has a stronger flavour and is cheaper, but it's more of a concern if you eat it every day.
Not all cinnamon is a problem. It becomes relevant mainly with regular large amounts of cassia cinnamon, because it can contain a lot of coumarin. Ceylon cinnamon is much less of a concern in this respect.
For cassia cinnamon, according to the BfR (German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment), an adult weighing 60 kg reaches the tolerable amount of coumarin at about 2 g a day, and a toddler (15 kg) at just about 0.5 g. Ceylon cinnamon contains only a little coumarin. So if you use cinnamon every day, choose Ceylon.