Does cinnamon improve cognitive function?

A meta-analysis of 40 studies concluded that cinnamon significantly improves aspects of cognitive function, including memory and learning).^[1] However, the analysis inappropriately pooled results from in vitro studies, animal studies, and clinical studies. Additionally, most of the in vitro and animal studies did not investigate cinnamon; instead, they tested the effects of molecules isolated from cinnamon — cinnamic acid, eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, and extracts — in high amounts. Furthermore, cognitive function (e.g., memory and learning) cannot be assessed in vitro (i.e., when growing cells in a dish). More importantly, there were only 2 clinical studies in the analysis: One administered a single 2-gram dose to 48 older adults and found no change in working memory, and the other administered a daily cinnamon-containing chewing gum (containing an unspecified amount of cinnamon) for 40 days to 15 adolescents and found an improved memory. Therefore, based on current evidence, it cannot be concluded whether cinnamon improves cognitive function in humans or not. This may change when further high-quality randomized controlled trials are published.

Of note is that many of the in vitro and animal studies showed that cinnamon, or molecules isolated from cinnamon, prevented the accumulation of amyloid-β and tau, which are key proteins involved in neurodegenerative processes. Such findings require further exploration in clinical trials.