Till now I've been vaguely aware that there were more than one type of cinnamon. The vast majority of the time you buy cinnamon in the store you will be getting cassia cinnamon AKA fake cinnamon or common cinnamon; but
true cinnamon is Ceylon cinnamon. Since these are two completely different plants I've decided to explore the health benefits of both.
Cassia cinnamon is better for regulating blood sugar and is a natural blood thinner but in large amounts can cause kidney or liver damage and is a known carcinogen. The reason for this is because it
contains lots of
coumarin while Ceylon cinnamon contains only trace amounts. Ceylon cinnamon also has a much milder flavor.
Other than coumarin, Ceylon cinnamon contains as much or more of all of the health benefits of cassia cinnamon however it is a bit more expensive and harder to find.
Generally if it doesn't say Ceylon cinnamon on the label, assume you are buying cassia cinnamon.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/516598-the-health-benefits-between-ceylon-cinnamon-and-cassia/