The compound that gives cinnamon its distinctive flavor and smell is a potent inhibitor of colorectal cancer, a study with mice shows.
When researchers added the compound cinnamaldehyde to the diet of mice they were protected against colorectal cancer. In response to cinnamaldehyde, the animals’ cells had acquired the ability to protect themselves against exposure to a carcinogen through detoxification and repair.
“This is a significant finding,” said Donna Zhang, professor of pharmacology and toxicology at University of Arizona. “Because colorectal cancer is aggressive and associated with poor prognoses, there is an urgent need to develop more effective strategies against this disease.”
“Given cinnamon’s important status as the third most consumed spice in the world, there’s relatively little research on its potential health benefits,” said Georg Wondrak, professor of pharmacology and toxicology. “If we can ascertain the positive effects of cinnamon, we would like to leverage this opportunity to potentially improve the health of people around the globe.”
