Can cinnamon prevent Alzheimer’s Disease?

You may have come across several headlines like this over the last few weeks, based on a new study apparently showing that the compound that causes that bright cinnamon smell may help prevent the development of tau protein tangles, the tangles that notoriously form in brains affected by Alzheimer’s Disease. Are we to conclude that cinnamon can play a significant role in fighting Alzheimer’s disease? That perhaps it can match or even surpass the benefits of physical and mental exercise, and other lifestyle factors? Probably not. Let’s see why, by analyzing the study in detail. The Study In an in vitro experiment (done in a test tube, not in a human or animal) researchers examined the effect of two cinnamon compounds on tau protein accumulation: cinnamaldehyde (CA) and epicatechin (EC). Under normal circumstances tau protein is responsible for the assembly of “microtubules” in brain cells. These microtubules form the “skeleton” of the cells. If the protein does not bind properly to the microtubule it tends to clump together. This is how tangles are formed. And this is important because these are insoluble fibers that will prevent neurons from functioning well. The study showed that the cinnamon compound CA was effective in preventing the formation of tau tangles. CA, an oil, seems to inhibit accumulation by protecting the protein from oxidative stress. This is because CA binds to cysteine residues that may otherwise damage tau. The other cinnamon compound, EC, ...
Source: SharpBrains - Category: Neurologists Authors: Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Health & Wellness Alzheimers-disease antioxidant cinnamon tau protein tangles Source Type: blogs