15th July 2013

By John Phillip

Researchers from Tel Aviv Universityreportin thePLoS ONEjournal that the common spicecinnamonfound in many kitchen pantries around the world may hold a crucial key topreventing Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease cases are growing at an exponential pace, currently affecting one in eight people over the age of 65. Cutting edge research posits that the devastating illness is in part the result of metabolic disruption in the brain and has been coined “Type III diabetes” as it disrupts insulin levels in brain tissue. An extract found in cinnamon bark, called CEppt has been shown to inhibit the development and progression of the disease in this latest study.

Cinnamon Extract Has Been Used as an Antiviral for Centuries

Researchers from the Department of Zoology at Tel Aviv University found that potent extracts from cinnamon bark inhibit the toxic amyloid polypeptide oligomers and fibrils that have been found in Alzheimer’s brain plaque formations. The healing power of cinnamon has been known since biblical times as high priests used the spice to protect against infectious disease. Antiviral properties have been confirmed by modern research, prompting studies to further examine extracts from the spice in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Scientists have isolated the CEppt active compound found in cinnamon bark and created an aqueous solution for use in research experiments. The solution was fed to genetically altered mice that have been predisposed to develop an aggressive form of Alzheimer’s disease. After a period of four months, researchers found that development of the disease had been slowed dramatically and activity levels and longevity was comparable to a control group of healthy mice.

Cinnamon Shown to Break up Amyloid Plaque, Prevent and Treat Alzheimer’s Disease

In addition to the disease regression findings, researchers determined that the cinnamon extract was found to break up the classic amyloid protein clusters in test tube experiments. Lead researcher Professor Michael Ovadia believes this indicates that CEppt is not only important to inhibit the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease but may help to break up existing tangles once they have formed.

Many natural substances including resveratrol, curcumin and blueberries have shown promise in preventing this devastating form of dementia, but no therapy exists that can reverse the disease once a diagnosis has been presented. Professor Ovadia commented on theresultsof this research:

“The discovery is extremely exciting. While there are companies developing synthetic AD inhibiting substances, our extract would not be a drug with side effects, but a safe, natural substance that human beings have been consuming for millennia.”

Scientists conducting this study did not publish the amount of cinnamon used to produce their results. Nutrition experts recommend using cinnamon liberally sprinkled on food daily or supplementing with 500 mg of cinnamon bark extract taken daily with meals. Cinnamon is rapidly becoming a natural compound that may hold the key to fighting Alzheimer’s disease.

About the Author

John Phillip is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and diet, health and nutrition researcher and author with a passion for understanding weight loss challenges and encouraging health modification through natural diet, lifestyle and targeted supplementation. John’s passion is to research and write about the cutting edge alternative health technologies that affect our lives.

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This article was republished with permission fromLive in the Now, one of the fastest growing natural health newsletters.