A Spice That Fights Alzheimer's

Could cinnamon really help fight Alzheimer's disease?

Researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel have isolated an extract in cinnamon bark, CEppt, that might slow the disease's development.

The researchers first found that cinnamon had antiviral properties, then tested a solution containing the extract by introducing it into the drinking water of mice and fruit flies.

These mice and flies were engineered to show the symptoms of Alzheimer's. After four months, the animals were healthier and acting more normally.

Ask your doctor about advances in Alzheimer's treatment.

The extract slowed the development of the tangles and plaques that form in the brain in Alzheimer's, said Michael Ovadia, professor in the department of zoology. The research suggests that the extract could not only fight the disease's development, but help cure it, he said.

However, consuming lots of cinnamon isn't yet a solution, warned researchers. Patients would have to consume toxic levels for it to help. Researchers will have to isolate the extract from its toxic elements to possibly develop a medication, Ovadia said.

The study was published in the journal PLoS ONE.