A warm, sweet spice that almost everyone has in the cupboard is found at the heart of a review of 2,605 scientific studies, only 40 of which passed the filter of Iranian researchers at the Birjand University of Medical Sciences. Their question seems simple: can this spice really improve memory and cognitive functions, to the point of becoming a daily ally of the brain?
In the magazine Nutritional Neurosciencethese scientists describe the possible effects of cinnamon on the brain, from the test tube to clinical trials. Their work provides serious clues, but also a very clear message: science has not completely “decided” and the results still need to be confirmed in humans.
Cinnamon and memory: what the journal Nutritional Neuroscience shows
The authors indicate that of the 40 studies selected, 33 were carried out in vivo in animals, 5 in vitro on cells and only 2 in clinical trials. They summarize: “In vivo studies have shown that the use of cinnamon or its components, such as eugenol, cinnamaldehyde and cinnamic acid, can positively modify cognitive function”report the scientists in the journal
Nutritional Neuroscience. In other words, in animals, cinnamon seems to support learning and memory.
In the laboratory, researchers go further: “In vitro studies have also shown that adding cinnamon or cinnamaldehyde to cell media can reduce the aggregation of the tau protein, amyloid β, and increase cell viability“, specify the researchers. However, the tau protein and amyloid β are involved in Alzheimer’s disease. Cinnamon is also described as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, which limits oxidative stress, a declared enemy of neurons.
When cinnamon goes from the lab to real life
Two small human studies stand out. In adolescents chewing cinnamon gum, researchers observed less anxiety and better memory. Same dose of lessons, same school environment, but those who chewed this flavored gum seemed to retain information better than the others.
The other trial was carried out in prediabetic adults in their sixties. After daily ingestion of 2 g of cinnamon on white bread, no significant changes in cognitive function were detected. Between healthy teenagers and already weakened adults, between chewing gum and toast, the picture becomes much more contrasted.
Cinnamon, Alzheimer’s and everyday memory: necessary caution
Faced with this craze, doctor and expert in phyto-aromatherapy Laure Martinat reminds us of the limits: “We already suspected that cinnamon had neuro-protective properties (…) but we are still working on isolated studies”she tempers. She also adds:
“To say that cinnamon could protect us from diseases like Alzheimer’s is going a little too quickly… It’s an avenue that remains to be explored in more detail.”
For the moment, cinnamon remains above all a pleasant spice, with interesting antioxidant effects, to be included in a varied diet: a little on yogurt, applesauce, or in homemade desserts. Researchers suggest a promising avenue for neuroprotection, but the basis of a good memory remains a combination: sleep, mental activity, movement and a balanced diet, not a miracle ingredient.