Cinnamon and its links to chronic diseases in people
What it found
Trials in people found that cinnamon may help with Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, arthritis, and hardening of the arteries.
More research is needed for cancer, heart protection, and brain conditions.
What they found
Studies in people
Chronic disease trials
Recent trials in people explored whether cinnamon helps with Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, arthritis, and hardening of the arteries.
Studies in people and animals
Reported biological effects
Reports describe antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, blood sugar lowering, germ-fighting, and anticancer properties from cinnamon and its parts.
Other findings
Nutrients in cinnamon
Cinnamon contains manganese, iron, dietary fiber, and calcium. It also holds plant compounds like cinnamaldehyde and cinnamic acid.
Forms studied
Research has tested cinnamon as bark, essential oils, bark powder, and isolated plant compounds.
What the authors conclude
- They note that many trials have explored how cinnamon might help with Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, arthritis, and hardening of the arteries.
- They say more investigations are needed to build clinical evidence for cancer, inflammation, heart protection, and brain disorders.
How it was done
Cinnamon is a widely used spice containing minerals, fiber, and plant compounds linked to several health effects. The authors wanted to gather what recent trials show about its role in long-term illnesses.
The authors gathered reports on different forms of cinnamon, including bark, essential oils, bark powder, and plant compounds. They looked at recent trials exploring how cinnamon affects Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, arthritis, and hardening of the arteries in people.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work gathers past reports rather than running a new trial, so it cannot prove cause and effect.
- More clinical studies in people are still needed to confirm benefits for cancer, heart health, and brain conditions.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Iran; Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran
The paper
- Title
- Cinnamon and Chronic Diseases
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Hariri M, Ghiasvand R (2016). Cinnamon and Chronic Diseases. Advances in experimental medicine and biology. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-41342-6_1PubMed 27771918DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error