A four-year-old boy from the US tragically died after ingesting a small amount of a common household spice.
Matthew Rader found a container of a ground cinnamon inside their kitchen and decided to taste it. Shortly after taking a small amount of the spice, the preschooler started choking as if having a seizure and collapsed.
Although Matthew was rushed to the hospital, he was declared dead 90 minutes after tasting cinnamon.
Matthew’s cause of death was cinnamon asphyxiation.
According to research, inhaling cinnamon can cause scarring of the lungs, spasms, and severe irritations which can eventually lead to death. Cinnamon spice is made from tree bark and contains cellulose fibbers which are hard to break down.
In recent years, many teenagers were brought to the hospital after participating in “The Cinnamon Challenge” which has gone viral on social media. In the social media stunt, teenage participants attempted to swallow a tablespoon of cinnamon without drinking water. Several participants were seen coughing violently when they are unable to do the challenge.
Despite the dangers of the challenge, thousands of videos of participants trying to do the stunt were seen uploaded on YouTube.
Speaking to CBS News, emergency doctor Robert Glatter explained: “This is a dangerous practice which can result in choking, aspiration of cinnamon powder into the lungs, and even respiratory failure requiring a ventilator in extreme cases.The stunt can also be deadly as a result of lack of oxygen to the brain in cases of choking and aspiration of the powder.”
Known for giving health benefits, cinnamon is loaded with antioxidants and possesses powerful medicinal properties. It is known to be used for diabetes, loss of appetite, bloating, intestinal gas, vomiting, common cold, heart disease, chest pains, cancer, kidney problems, high blood pressure, and even impotence.
