The next time you reach for that jar of cinnamon to whip up your famous snickerdoodles or sprinkle on your oatmeal, think again. It might be packing more heat than you bargained for - in the form of lead.

Here's the scoop. A recent probe by the good folks at Consumer Reports (coincidentally, a nonprofit that doesn't get a kick out of terrifying the bejeezus out of us) found that a shocking one-third of tested cinnamon powders and blends contain lead levels that, phrased delicately, are through the proverbial roof.

Just how serious is this? According to the straight-talking James Rogers, PhD, and the most fun guy at any party, Director of Food Safety Research and Testing at Consumer Reports, even a ¼ teaspoon of these products is enough to earn the title of 'The Most Hazardous Thing In Your Diet Today'.

Here's where it gets grislier. Lead, that quaint little heavy metal, likes to check-in at your kidneys, brain, and liver, wreak havoc, and then set up shop in your bones, teeth, and hair as lead phosphate. The result? A delightful assortment of ailments including high blood pressure, kid-brain-damage-ville, and fertility hang-ups.

The list of the 'Riskiest Cinnamon Award' winners according to Consumer Reports and the FDA reads like a regular spice rack throw-down. Suspects include the likes of 'Paras Cinnamon Powder', 'Rani Brand Ground Cinnamon', and 'Badia Cinnamon Powder'. You get the drift.

Of course, not all spices are sinful. There's a small 'Safe List', featuring achievers like 'Sadaf Seven Spice' and '365 Whole Foods Market Ground Cinnamon', among others.

It's a conundrum, folks: cinnamon trees are drinking up lead from the soil they grow in and our industrial shenanigans aren't helping. Lead's a complex little devil; it affects everyone differently, depending on your iron or calcium deficiency status and a dozen other factors. Some say supplements can help reduce absorption, but we'd take that with a pinch of salt.. or should we say, lead.

And it's not just your cinnamon you should be side-eying. Chocolate chips and brownie mixes, turmeric, and a whole gang of other spices are under the scanner for concerning levels of lead.

But don't unleash the apocalypse just yet. Keep calm, stay informed, and keep coming back here for the bare-it-all truth on health and fitness that no one else dares to tell. In the meantime, maybe try a different brand of cinnamon, or better yet, give nutmeg a spin for a change.