Is cinnamon good for your brain?
Cinnamon is a spice belonging to the Lauraceae family. There are several varieties, the best known being that of the Ceylon cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum verum). It has been known for its antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects for a long time now. In addition, studies have shown that some of its components, such as eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, or cinnamic acid, could influence brain function, which was the subject of a meta-analysis recently published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience.
A total of 40 studies were selected, of which 33 were in vivo results, five in vitro and two studies were clinical trials. The result obtained by the majority of these researches is that cinnamon would significantly improve learning and memory functions. The in vitro studies showed that cinnamaldehyde could reduce the aggregation of tau proteins and amyloid β-peptides in the brain, molecules involved in Alzheimer's disease.
As for clinical studies, one showed a beneficial effect on memory and anxiety in adolescents, however the second did not conclude to an improvement in adults. Although promising, the results are still mixed and need to be confirmed in future studies.