Antioxidants and minerals in cinnamon

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Created on 05, March, 2017

A wholesale source of ground cinnamon claims that cinnamon is high in antioxidants, fiber and various minerals (manganese, iron and calcium).

In order to be "high in" (aka an "excellent source" of) a nutrient, a food must provide at least 20% of the Daily Value (DV) of that nutrient. The wholesale company states that one teaspoon of cinnamon contains 16% of the DV for manganese; the other minerals are below 10%; no antioxidant or fiber data is given. Even if one serving (defined and regulated as Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed, or RACC) were 1 tsp, even the manganese content would be too low. And one teaspoon of cinnamon weighs 2.5 g, which is how much fiber is required for 10% DV (impossible, obviously, to contain 5 g fiber to reach 20% DV). But the correct serving size is actually 1/4 teaspoon, so none of these nutrients comes close to meeting the criteria for cinnamon to be an excellent source (or even a good source). As with many spices and herbs, you would need to consume a large amount (many servings) to obtain significant nutrient content. A typical single serving of many vegetables often can do this, however.