The Claim: Ceylon cinnamon, a milder form of the spice sold in gourmet stores, is healthier than ordinary supermarket cinnamon. Cinnamon can lower blood sugar in diabetics, ease arthritis and improve cholesterol.

The Verdict: A recent meta-analysis found cinnamon can lower blood sugar and cholesterol in humans, but so far evidence that it eases arthritis is limited to animal data. For health benefits, cassia cinnamon, which is typically sold in supermarkets, has been more widely studied than Ceylon cinnamon. But scientists say Ceylon cinnamon is likely safer in very high doses than supermarket cinnamon.

Studies have found blood-sugar benefits of a sprinkle a day of cassia cinnamon, says Angela Ginn, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. But most of the studies in the meta-analysis used cassia cinnamon so it is a "big unknown" whether Ceylon cinnamon would offer the same benefits, she adds.

Cinnamon is harvested from the bark of evergreen trees. Ceylon cinnamon, or Cinnamomum verum, comes from a small tree native to Sri Lanka. Ceylon cinnamon is lighter in color than the cassia cinnamon, which typically comes from Indonesia, China and other countries. Cassia cinnamon tastes "stronger and hotter," says Ana Sortun, executive chef of Oleana restaurant in Cambridge, Mass., while Ceylon cinnamon is full of "lighter, brighter citrus tones."

The meta-analysis found a significant decrease in blood glucose levels in diabetics as well as a drop in cholesterol. The analysis, which included 10 studies and a total of 543 patients, was published earlier this year in the Annals of Family Medicine. Doses in the studies ranged from 120 milligrams a day to six grams.