Controversies surrounding coumarin in cassia : the good, the bad and the not so ugly

Abstract

In the world and Indian market, the cinnamon available is not the true cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), but its avatar, viz. the fake cinnamon (C. cassia). The latter contains coumarin, which at high doses, has been found to cause hepatotoxicity, carcinogenesis and liver/lung tumours in rodents. However, such ill effects in humans due to coumarin are rare and only associated with high doses. A toxicological reevaluation of coumarin aimed to derive scientifically founded maximum limits is imperative.