Cinnamon is good for memory improvement. Or is it?
Adam Rifkin stashed this in Memory!
Stashed in: Science!, Awesome, Memory, Supplements, Science Studies
What's fascinating is the story behind this research.
A top Reddit comment:
An investment company just dumped a ton of money into cinnamon futures and then paid medicalexpress.com to write this article.
This is how this kind of news works.
Literally 6 days ago the World Trade Organization signed a new deal with Sri Lanka about their cinnamon exports so they could market "Pure Ceylon Cinnamon". That's why this completely irrelevant fact about "Pure Ceylon Cinnamon" is mentioned in this 'science' article.
http://www.foodqualitynews.com/R-D/WTO-and-UNIDO-raise-standards-in-Sri-Lanka-s-cinnamon-exports
Another top Reddit comment:
Coumarin in cinnamon is carcinogenic and hepatotoxic, greatly limiting the acceptable cinnamon dosage.
MHCP is an insulin mimetic on adipocytes, meaning it disposes blood sugar as body fat. This does not really solve the issues with diabetes, only delays them.
I suspect the beneficial effects on brain function are simply due to its ability to dispose glucose and temporarily improve blood lipids.
You can get better results by simply adhering to a low carbohydrate diet, that has the same effect on serum glucose and blood lipids, and furthermore also has the advantage of fueling your brain with ketones, that are shown to be neuroprotective and cognitive enhancing.
Exercise is beneficial to cognitive health partly because it increases the concentrations of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), the same ketone that is produced in much higher quantities during ketogenic dieting.
If you are serious about cognitive health, you should practice carbohydrate restriction, intermittent fasting, exercise, and take fish oil. Optionally, take nootropics.
11:33 PM Jul 23 2016