Firstly to determine which type of cinnamon stick you’re purchasing, look at the texture; ceylon cinnamon has a thinner, more brittle bark than cassia cinnamon does.
CEYLON is soft CASSIA come hard
Ceylon and cassia cinnamons actually come from two different, but related, trees.
Ceylon cinnamon (called true cinnamon) comes from trees grown in areas like Sri Lanka and Thailand that are rarer, therefore ceylon cinnamon is more expensive and hard to find in stores.
Cassia cinnamon (also called Chinese or Saigon cinnamon) comes from trees grown in China normally, is less expensive, and is more widely available. (20)
To date, cassia cinnamon has been studied more than ceylon cinnamon has, but researchers think that ceylon cinnamon actually has potential for having more health benefits than cassia cinnamon.
Ceylon cinnamon also contains less of a compound called coumarins than cassia cinnamon does. Coumarins are believed to be potentially damaging to the liver when you consume a lot of them. therefore researchers think that ceylon cinnamon is the better option for producing cinnamon extracts that feature high doses of cinnamon.
The best approach to ensure you are getting CEYLON, purchase CEYLON cinnamon sticks and grate fresh cinnamon yourself using a small hand-held grater.
Additionally, whole cinnamon sticks can be used to infuse liquids, teas, coffee, wine to give them a distinct flavor and to add nutrients.
As far as taste goes, ceylon cinnamon is said to have a lighter and more citrusy taste than cassia, which has a deeper and spicer taste. For the most part, the two are used interchangeably in recipes.
The two types of cinnamon are do have similar health benefits overall, since their plant species is very closely related, but we expect to see more evidence in the future pointing to the fact that ceylon is the better option.
If you cannot find ceylon cinnamon, cassia cinnamon is still beneficial, and as long as you don’t consume large amounts of cinnamon (more than 1-2 teaspoons a day for example) the coumarin compounds don’t pose much of a threat according to studies.
Reference : Christopher Robbins, Dr Axe