Cinnamon is a very popular spice with numerous culinary uses, from flavoring meats and liquors, to enhancing the flavor of hot drinks such as coffee or chocolate, or including it as an ingredient in desserts and snacks, such as rice pudding or delicious French toast. . But, in addition, cinnamon has health benefits, since it relieves digestive disorders and is also attributed antioxidant, antiseptic, bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic and antifungal properties, and even the ability to stimulate the immune system and have aphrodisiac powers.
Now, a new review of studies reveals that including cinnamon in the regular diet can help boost memory and learning ability, as well as reduce anxiety symptoms. The research has been carried out by scientists from the Birjand University of Medical Sciences in Iran, who have reviewed several previous studies looking at the effects of cinnamon on cognitive functions. Their results have been published in Nutritional Neuroscience and confirm the potential value of cinnamon in preventing or reducing memory or learning problems.
Cinnamon is obtained from the inner bark of Cinnamomum trees, which are evergreen trees found in the Himalayas and other mountainous areas, and also in rainforests and other forests in southern China, India, and Southeast Asia. . The objective of the research was to carry out a systematic review of the studies that evaluated the relationship between cinnamon and its components on memory and learning, as explained by Samaneh Nakhaee, Alireza Kooshki and their colleagues in their article, adding that they selected 40 studies that met the criteria from a total of 2,605 papers.
Chewing cinnamon gum improved memory function and decreased anxiety in adolescents in a clinical trial
The results suggest that cinnamon and some of its active components could have positive effects on the functioning of the human brain, improving memory and learning, so the researchers believe that the impact of cinnamon on the brain should be further examined. and confirm its usefulness in preserving brain function and delaying cognitive decline.
Cinnamon can prevent and reduce the decline in cognitive function
Of the 40 selected studies, 33 were carried out in vivo, that is, analyzing living organisms, such as humans, rodents, or other animals. Five of these were conducted in vitro (ie outside of living organisms, eg by analyzing cells or post-mortem tissue), and two were clinical trials involving patients.
The data collected in these studies that were analyzed by the researchers included the authors and year of publication of the papers, the compound or type of cinnamon, the dose of spice or its bioactive components used, and characteristics of the participants such as their sex and age. and the way they consumed cinnamon. After comparing the results of all of them, they found that most of the papers analyzed suggested that cinnamon could have a positive impact on both memory and cognitive function.
“In vivo studies showed that the use of cinnamon or its components, such as eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, and cinnamic acid, could positively alter cognitive function,” Nakhaee, Kooshki, and their colleagues wrote in the article. These scientists add that in vitro studies have also shown that adding cinnamon or cinnamaldehyde to a cellular medium can reduce the aggregation of tau and amyloid beta that are associated with the development of Alzheimer’s, as well as “increasing cell viability.”
Regarding the two clinical trials analyzed, one was carried out with adolescents and the other with prediabetic adults aged 60 years or less. In the first, adolescents were asked to chew cinnamon gum, and in the other, participants had to eat 2 g of cinnamon on white bread. The results of the first study were positive, suggesting that chewing cinnamon gum improved memory function and decreased anxiety. However, no relevant changes were found in the cognitive function of prediabetic adults after cinnamon consumption.
“Most studies showed that cinnamon could be useful in preventing and reducing decline in cognitive function,” the researchers wrote in their article. “It can be used as an adjuvant in the treatment of related diseases. However, more studies are needed on this topic.”
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