Popular Cinnamon Stunt Can Have Serious Lung Effects

Researchers warn that highly cited kids' 'challenge' can land them in the ER

By Amy Norton

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, April 22 (HealthDay News) -- As if parents didn't have enough to worry about, it seems a growing number of kids are taking the "Cinnamon Challenge" -- a stunt that has landed some in the ER, pediatricians warn.

The Cinnamon Challenge sounds simple but is almost impossible: Swallow a tablespoon of ground cinnamon in 60 seconds without the help of a drink. Invariably, the taker ends up gagging and coughing up the spice -- creating a big brown cloud dubbed "dragon breath."

Onlookers apparently find it funny, said Dr. Steven Lipshultz, a pediatrics professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida. There are over 51,000 YouTube clips of the stunt -- one of which was viewed more than 19 million times as of last August, Lipshultz and his colleagues report in the May issue of Pediatrics.

But it could be dangerous for the person who downs the cinnamon.

Usually, people suffer no more than burning in the throat, mouth and nose, and a bad cough. But, Lipshultz said, ground cinnamon can be inhaled into the lungs, and some kids have ended up in the ER with problems as serious as a collapsed lung.

"We wanted to bring this to people's attention," Lipshultz said. "This seems to be an increasing problem, and based on animal studies, there's the potential for lasting effects (on the lungs)."

In animal studies, he and his colleagues noted, a single dose of cinnamon "dust" has been found to trigger lasting lung inflammation, thickening and scarring.

Cinnamon is composed of cellulose fibers that do not break down if they enter the lungs, according to Lipshultz. No one knows if Cinnamon Challenge takers face any risk of long-term lung damage, but there is evidence of immediate risks.

In 2011, Lipshultz's team said, U.S. poison control centers fielded 51 calls related to the stunt. In just the first half of 2012, there were 122 calls linked to "misuse or abuse" of the spice.

At least 30 challenge takers have needed medical attention, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

Late last year, ER doctors at the Loyola University Health System in Maywood, Ill., saw about a dozen 9-year-olds who'd tried the stunt.

Dry, loose cinnamon can burn and irritate the mucous membranes that line the digestive and respiratory tracts, including the lungs. One concern is that the powder will be inhaled into the lungs, said Dr. Christina Hantsch, a toxicologist with the Loyola emergency department.

Another worry is that, if a challenge taker throws up -- as they often do -- vomit will be inhaled back into lungs, Hantsch added. That could lead to inflammation and infection known as aspiration pneumonia.

Lipshultz said the jump in calls to poison control centers in 2012 coincided with the surge in Cinnamon Challenge videos on YouTube. And the number of Google hits on the topic rose from 0.2 million in 2009 to 2.4 million in the first half of 2012.

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Popular Cinnamon Stunt Can Have Serious Lung Effects

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, April 22 (HealthDay News) -- As if parents didn't have enough to worry about, it seems a growing number of kids are taking the "Cinnamon Challenge" -- a stunt that has landed some in the ER, pediatricians warn.

The Cinnamon Challenge sounds simple but is almost impossible: Swallow a tablespoon of ground cinnamon in 60 seconds without the help of a drink. Invariably, the taker ends up gagging and coughing up the spice -- creating a big brown cloud dubbed "dragon breath."

Onlookers apparently find it funny, said Dr. Steven Lipshultz, a pediatrics professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida. There are over 51,000 YouTube clips of the stunt -- one of which was viewed more than 19 million times as of last August, Lipshultz and his colleagues report in the May issue of Pediatrics.

But it could be dangerous for the person who downs the cinnamon.

Usually, people suffer no more than burning in the throat, mouth and nose, and a bad cough. But, Lipshultz said, ground cinnamon can be inhaled into the lungs, and some kids have ended up in the ER with problems as serious as a collapsed lung.

"We wanted to bring this to people's attention," Lipshultz said. "This seems to be an increasing problem, and based on animal studies, there's the potential for lasting effects (on the lungs)."

In animal studies, he and his colleagues noted, a single dose of cinnamon "dust" has been found to trigger lasting lung inflammation, thickening and scarring.

Cinnamon is composed of cellulose fibers that do not break down if they enter the lungs, according to Lipshultz. No one knows if Cinnamon Challenge takers face any risk of long-term lung damage, but there is evidence of immediate risks.

In 2011, Lipshultz's team said, U.S. poison control centers fielded 51 calls related to the stunt. In just the first half of 2012, there were 122 calls linked to "misuse or abuse" of the spice.

At least 30 challenge takers have needed medical attention, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

Late last year, ER doctors at the Loyola University Health System in Maywood, Ill., saw about a dozen 9-year-olds who'd tried the stunt.

Dry, loose cinnamon can burn and irritate the mucous membranes that line the digestive and respiratory tracts, including the lungs. One concern is that the powder will be inhaled into the lungs, said Dr. Christina Hantsch, a toxicologist with the Loyola emergency department.

Another worry is that, if a challenge taker throws up -- as they often do -- vomit will be inhaled back into lungs, Hantsch added. That could lead to inflammation and infection known as aspiration pneumonia.

Lipshultz said the jump in calls to poison control centers in 2012 coincided with the surge in Cinnamon Challenge videos on YouTube. And the number of Google hits on the topic rose from 0.2 million in 2009 to 2.4 million in the first half of 2012.

Plus, it's not only teenagers who are flaunting their encounters with the Cinnamon Challenge. Celebrities and even politicians have posted their own videos, both Lipshultz and Hantsch pointed out.

"And then if their peers start doing it, too, kids feel social pressure to try it," Lipshultz said.

What can parents do, short of locking up the spice rack? Hantsch suggested parents pay attention to what their kids are viewing online, and talk with them about the potential dangers of this seemingly harmless stunt.

Lipshultz agreed. If kids know there are serious risks, they might be dissuaded. "Our hope is that if they have the information, they'll make smarter decisions," he said.

Cinnamon is not the only spice of abuse, however. Ground nutmeg -- when snorted, smoked or eaten in large amounts -- can create a marijuana-like high, Hantsch noted.

Unfortunately, she added, "there are many household items that can be abused."

Those range from glue to hand sanitizers to aerosol cooking sprays -- and even marshmallows. A challenge popular with kids, Hantsch said, is the "Chubby Bunny," where you shove as many marshmallows into your mouth as possible, then try to say the words "chubby bunny."

At least two children have choked to death trying the stunt, she added.

Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Steven Lipshultz, M.D., professor, pediatrics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Christina Hantsch, M.D., toxicologist, emergency medicine, Loyola University Health System, Maywood, Ill.; April 22, 2013, Pediatrics, online

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Which Diet Plans Are Most Popular? Dieters Choose

Jan. 3, 2013 -- Is weight loss one of your New Year's resolutions?

If so, you might get some valuable guidance from a new survey of more than 9,000 Consumer Reports readers who have been there, done that.

The readers ranked do-it-yourself plans and commercial plans.

MyFitnessPal, a free web site and smartphone app, got top satisfaction marks in the survey.

Weight Watchers got the highest satisfaction marks of the four commercial diet plans rated by dieters.

"What you are seeing here is the judgment of people who have been on the diets," says Nancy Metcalf, senior program editor for Consumer Reports.

The ratings are not based on the safety of the diet nor on nutrition experts' assessments.

The satisfaction scores took into account the cost of the plan, ease of use, and weight loss, Metcalf says.

There were enough responses to tally results for 13 diet plans and tools.

The full results are published in the February issue of Consumer Reports.

Of a possible 100 points, here is how the four commercial diet plans rated by readers fared:

Weight Watchers, 74. The plan assigns a "PointsPlus" value to each food based on the nutrient content. It encourages physical activity. Users get support at meetings or online.Medifast, 70. This is a low-calorie meal replacement plan.Jenny Craig, 66. The approach includes branded meal replacements and personal consultations with a staff member.Nutrisystem, 56. This approach includes branded meal replacements and online tools for weight control.

Nine do-it-yourself plans were rated. Here is how they fared on the same 100-point satisfaction scale.

MyFitnessPal, 83. This free web site and smartphone app includes a food and exercise diary.Paleo Diet, 80. This ''eat-like-a-caveman" approach includes eating lean meats, fruit and fish, and non-starchy vegetables. Users avoid cereal grains, legumes, dairy, and processed foods.Mediterranean Diet, 77. Users eat plant-based meals with olive oil and limit dairy, red meat, and refined carbohydrates such as sweets.SparkPeople, 76. This online app tracks food and exercise and offers menu plans.South Beach Diet, 72. Users focus on healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables.Glycemic Index Diet, 71. The approach focuses on eating foods that do not cause blood sugar to spike quickly.Low-Carb Diet, 71. This diet focuses on general restriction of carbohydrate-containing foods.Atkins Diet, 70. Followers restrict carbohydrate-containing foods initially. Then they gradually re-introduce some.Slim-Fast, 60. Users eat or drink Slim-Fast shakes, bars, and snacks. They also eat some ''regular'' food.

"Weight loss didn't correlate well with satisfaction," Metcalf says. Dieters balanced weight loss with other factors, she says, such as how easy the plan was to follow.

Overall, men lost more than women did, she found. Overall, the median loss (half more, half less) was 18 pounds for men and 15 for women. However, that loss was often enough to move from the obese category to overweight or the overweight to healthy weight category.

Those people on Medifast lost more than those on any other diet. Men lost 20 to 43 pounds; women, 14 to 40.

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Music Monday: Musicology and Modern Popular Music

Free term theme idea: Recurring Thematic Material in the Collected Works of Flo Rida.

If one were to listen to his entire discography, how many songs would seem to reference oral sex?

Regrettably, there doesn’t seem to be an official music video I could embed.

In Closing: a bounty I hope gets paid; waaah, the media isn’t telling why it might be a good idea to shoot 14 year old girls in the head for wanting an education (damn liberal media!); maps; quiet victory; this could be a bumpy election; confession; she’d be a Saint even without the Pope’s say-so; who needs effective antibiotics anyway?; science literacy; duh; and just say no.

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