The Study
Cinnamon Extract Inhibits Tau Aggregation Associated with Alzheimer's Disease In Vitro
This study just looked at cinnamon in a test tube with brain proteins — it didn’t test it in people or animals. So we can say cinnamon changed the proteins in the lab, but we can’t say it helps anyone with Alzheimer’s.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested cinnamon extract in a test tube and found it can break apart sticky tau protein clumps that are linked to Alzheimer's, without hurting the good job tau normally does.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 53 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This happened in a test tube, not in people or animals, so it's not yet known if it helps humans with Alzheimer's.
- 2Cinnamon extract stopped tau from clumping, broke apart existing clumps, and changed their shape.
- 3One part (proanthocyanidin trimer) and another (cinnamaldehyde) were responsible.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
Year
2009
Authors
Dylan W. Peterson, R. George, Francesca Scaramozzino, Nichole E Lapointe, R. Anderson, D. Graves, J. Lew
Related Content
Claims (6)
Some natural compounds found in cinnamon might help stop harmful clumps in the brain linked to Alzheimer’s and also help the brain use sugar better for energy.
A tea made from Ceylon cinnamon might stop harmful clumps of a brain protein from forming in a test tube — these clumps are linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
A type of cinnamon called Ceylon cinnamon might break apart abnormal protein clumps in the brain that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and change what these clumps look like under a microscope.
Adding cinnamon extract to a test tube with brain proteins and building blocks for cell structures doesn’t stop those proteins from doing their job of putting together the cell’s internal scaffolding.
A specific compound found in Ceylon cinnamon stops a harmful protein clump from forming in test tubes, which might be important for brain health.
Even after removing certain compounds from cinnamon, another part called cinnamaldehyde still helps stop a harmful protein clumping in test tubes.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.