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I would like to thank those of you who sent responses suggesting
explanations for my possible cinnamon sensitivity. Some thought it might
have to do with being blood type O, which it so happens I am.

But I don't believe I was always sensitive to cinnamon. As a matter of
fact, I used to eat TONS of the stuff. Back in the days when I was
showed no symptoms of celiac disease, I thought whole grains and low fat
were the answer to health, I weaned myself away from eating extra fat by
pouring plain cinnamon on whole-wheat toast instead of butter or
margarine. I loved it! My tolerance rose, and I started to pour more and
more on toast. Pretty soon, I was going through a large container of
cinnamon a month.

Then a friend told me that it contains a natural pesticide and is
effective in killing ants. I tried it around pet dishes, etc. As I
watched legions of ants drop dead, it dawned on me that it might be a
good idea to cut back. (To be perfectly honest, at that point I panicked
and called poison control. The call did not put my mind at ease because
I couldn't get the poison experts to even believe that it killed ants.)
Now that I've calmed down, and to be fair to cinnamon, I realize that
lots of things kill ants that are harmless to humans, like soap. I've
continued to use the spice in moderation until recently. (I've never
stopped using soap.)

Maybe this explanation is too simplistic, but I think during the period
when I was dumping it copiously on toast, I sensitized my body to
cinnamon while also overdoing wheat, which my body didn't like in the
first place. I think now when cinnamon appears, my immune system just
assumes that wheat must be around somewhere and proceeds with its
misguided and klutzy method of trying to protect me by destroying my
insides. The moral to this story, if there is one, is moderation in all
things.

So, you see, I choose not to believe the "Eat Right for Your Type"
theory that I never should have eaten cinnamon in the first place. If I
did, it might lead me to think that my cinnamon binges have done
irreparable damage and shortened my life span. On the other hand, maybe
someday scientists will discover that cinnamon is a powerful
chemotherapy agent for type Os. (Remember, you heard this first from
me!)