The Cinnamon Challenge Can Cause Long-Term Damage

If you haven’t heard of the cinnamon challenge, you’re probably alone. It’s ubiquitous – especially on Youtube and especially among school-aged children.

The cinnamon challenge was even incorporated into last year’s Mr. Griffin contest at Los Alamitos High School.

The challenge sounds simple: swallow a tablespoon of cinnamon. But as thousands have learned, much to the amusement of their camera-phone wielding friends, it’s anything but simple. And according to a new report, it’s dangerous.

The journal Pediatrics released a report on the phenomenon and the growing numbers of emergency room visits and Poison Control phone calls stemming from the Cinnamon Challenge, according to the New York Times.

According to the newspaper:

Although the spice is harmless and potentially even healthful in small amounts, it can be caustic to the airways when inhaled, causing inflammation and scarring of the lungs…The problem is that cinnamon powder contains an inert substance called cellulose, which can lodge in the lungs.

“The cellulose doesn’t break down,” Dr. Lipshultz said. “So when it gets into the lungs it sits there long term, and if it’s coated with this caustic cinnamon oil, that leads to chronic inflammation and eventually scarring of the lungs, something we call pulmonary fibrosis. Getting scarring in the lungs is equivalent to getting emphysema.”

The moral of the story: while the spice may be sweet to eat, the cinnamon challenge isn’t worth it.

Click here for The New York Times article.