If cinnamon flavors desserts and drinks, it would also be useful in protecting our brains and preventing cognitive decline.
In the domain of health, spices have virtues that can soothe pain or cure certain ailments. Thus, turmeric may soon become a non-drug treatment for relieving ulcerative colitis. At the same time, it is possible to relieve cervical osteoarthritis by consuming black pepper or nutmeg.
Among the spices that fascinate researchers for its various healing properties, cinnamon figures prominently. In fact, it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Studies have also shown that it also contains anti-cancer components.
However, cinnamon could have another virtue, this time preventive. In effect, in a study of adolescents and adults, Iranian researchers have made a startling discovery. The spice is said to have the ability to improve certain cognitive functions.
Certain brain functions positively impacted by regular consumption of cinnamon
The study in question was part of a mega-analysis including nearly forty in vivo and in vitro tests. For this experiment, the researchers called on two groups of volunteers. The first was only made up of teenagers while the second was made up of prediabetic adults.
To determine the impact or not of cinnamon on the brain, the researchers gave specific instructions to each group. The teenagers had to chew cinnamon gum for several weeks. On the other hand, adults only had to put a few grams of cinnamon on a bit of white bread.
The researchers then analyzed the cognitive abilities of the two groups. However, they noticed that among adolescents, anxiety levels decreased. Additionally, they also found that the spice favored memorization. However, there was no noticeable change in adults.
A spice to use preventively?
Given these results, two questions arise. The first is the age of people taking cinnamon. Its beneficial effects on the brain may diminish over time. Nevertheless, further studies will have to confirm or not this hypothesis.
The second is whether or not you get sick from taking cinnamon. Indeed, researchers have obtained very good results on healthy young people. In fact, cinnamon could be recommended as a preventive measure from a very young age. However, researchers are already seeing treatment options to reduce cognitive impairment.