The Cinnamon Challenge Can Result in Respiratory Problems (Video)

Unfortunately, videos of people choking and crying isn't enough to stop bored teens around the world from taking, you guessed it, the cinnamon challenge. According to a report released by Pediatrics in April, doctors warn that trying to swallow spoonfuls of cinnamon could actually kill you, or, on a lighter note, result in choking, breathing problems or collapsed lungs. But no, no, no! This doesn't harm the no pain no gain allure of the cinnamon challenge from kiddies all over the place climbing on their counter tops to search through the spice rack for that special, magic ingredient.

And apparently, the dare is so popular that poison control centers received over 200 calls related to this problem last year alone, and at least 30 teens required medical attention. "It's not cool and it's dangerous," warns a 16-year-old who was hospitalized for four days after choking on cinnamon, according to The Daily Beast.

It's hard to see an ingredient as sweet as cinnamon earn such a bad rep. In fact, studies show that this little brown spice can be helpful for a number of things, including lowering cholesterol and regulating blood sugar, helping with yeast infections, cancer prevention, and even brain health, among other things. It's certainly a shame some kids had to go on the internet, putting up video after video of themselves hacking up cooking ingredients that might have otherwise been used to make cookies or season chicken.

In any case, want to see what the cinnamon challenge looks like, so you DON'T do it? Check out this video, courtesy of YouTube.

And, if you want to see more, check out the website for the challenge, here.