The Spice That Battles Alzheimer’s

A common spice may help you avoid the destruction of Alzheimer’s. Chances are, the spice is already sitting in a small jar on a shelf in your kitchen.

Two natural compounds found in cinnamon — cinnamaldehyde and epicatechin — are showing promise in the effort to fight Alzheimer’s. According to researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the compounds have been shown to prevent the development of the filamentous “tangles” found in the brain cells that characterize Alzheimer’s.

If cinnamon and its compounds do live up to their promise, it could be a significant step in the ongoing battle against Alzheimer’s. In the United States, Alzheimer’s is growing in an aging population. The problem threatens to overwhelm the U.S. healthcare system. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, in 2013, Alzheimer’s disease will cost the nation $203 billion.

“Wouldn’t it be interesting if a small molecule from (cinnamon) could help?” asks researcher Donald Graves.