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On TikTok, a viral trend has been claiming that adding a teaspoon of cinnamon to your morning coffee alongside cocoa helps you burn fat – and lose weight. Is it true? According to a study, taking doses of this sweet-smelling spice below 1.5 grams every day (around half a teaspoon) helps decrease your waist circumference by almost 2 cm.

The meta-analysis – which included research from 35 studies examined that consuming more than 1.5 grams per day will not have any significant effect on the same. The study, with over 1,000 participants found cinnamon also reduced body mass index (BMI) by 0.40kg/m² and body weight by 0.92kg. However, it did not change the participants' composition of fat or lean mass.

The research, which ranged from two to six months and featured cinnamon powder or an extract, mostly focused on people from the Middle East or the Indian subcontinent.

According to experts, cinnamon helps the blood sugar to enter your body’s cells more quickly – thereby lowering the glucose and making insulin more effective. It also easily breaks down fat when we need it for energy. The spice is also instrumental in making you feel fuller for longer by slowing down how quickly the food is released from your stomach into the small intestine.

And so, adding cinnamon – a known anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial spice to your morning cup of coffee is totally worth it.

According to Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health – four cups of this delicious drink a day lowers body fat by approximately 4 per cent. Coffee, apart from caffeine, has high levels of fibre, which promotes feelings of fullness and can aid the body in maintaining a healthy weight.

According to experts, cinnamon is generally regarded as safe when used as a spice in cooking and food. However, many times health regulators issue advisories about the level of lead and other heavy metals – which are harmful - in some cinnamon preparations.

Doctors say lead is a contaminant that has serious side effects on your health, including gastrointestinal pain and allergic reactions. One of the active ingredients – coumarin is also dangerous for your liver. Cassia cinnamon - made from the dried inner bark of an evergreen tree has around 1 per cent of coumarin and the other - Ceylon variety contains much less, 0.004 per cent.

Experts believe cinnamon works best in losing weight when you also incorporate meaningful changes in your daily lifestyle. Always make sure to exercise at least 30 minutes daily and eat fresh and whole foods. Also, quit smoking and alcohol for a fitter and healthier body.

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