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EAE cure of the week. Cinnamon

Ecoclimber

Senior Member
Messages
1,011
This is something that I found interesting on experiments with a mouse model. In the past,the problem with mouse models is that Genomic responses in mouse models poorly mimic human inflammatory diseases

Permission to repost from Prof. G

PLoS One
Cinnamon Ameliorates Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis in Mice via Regulatory T Cells: Implications for Multiple Sclerosis Therapy. Mondal S, Pahan K.. 2015 Jan;10(1): e0116566.

Upregulation and/or maintenance of regulatory T cells (Tregs) during an autoimmune insult may have therapeutic efficacy in autoimmune diseases.

Although several immunomodulatory drugs and molecules are available, most present significant side effects over long-term use. Cinnamon is a commonly used natural spice and flavoring material used for centuries throughout the world.

Here, we have explored a novel use of cinnamon powder in protecting Tregs and treating the disease process of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS.

Oral feeding of cinnamon (Cinnamonum verum) powder suppresses clinical symptoms of relapsing-remitting EAE in female PLP-TCR transgenic mice and adoptive transfer mouse model.

Cinnamon also inhibited clinical symptoms of chronic EAE in male C57/BL6 mice. Dose-dependent study shows that cinnamon powder at a dose of 50 mg/kg body wt/d or higher significantly suppresses clinical symptoms of EAE in mice. Accordingly, oral administration of cinnamon also inhibited perivascular cuffing, maintained the integrity of blood-brain barrier and blood-spinal cord barrier, suppressed inflammation, normalized the expression of myelin genes, and blocked demyelination in the central nervous system of EAE mice. Interestingly, cinnamon treatment upregulated Tregs via reduction of nitric oxide production. Furthermore, we demonstrate that blocking of Tregs by neutralizing antibodies against CD25 abrogates cinnamon-mediated protection of EAE. Taken together, our results suggest that oral administration of cinnamon powder may be beneficial in MS patients and that no other existing anti-MS therapies could be so economical and trouble-free as this approach.


Comments from Mouse Doctor

Who needs drugs when we have herbs and spices?

Why go to a Neuro when you can pop down to your local supermarket?


We have heard of the potential beneficial effects of tumeric and now it is the turn of cinnamon powder. This paper will be one that the media takes up, as it was also reported that Cinnamon can treat Parkinsons disease, so I thought that I would have a look.

This study is based on an earlier study where it was reported that addition of 2.5mg/ml to 10mg/ml of sodium benzoate, a food preservative and a metabolite of some components in cinnamon, cranberries and ripe cloves, placed into drinking water could inhibit EAE. This means that about 10-50mg of sodium benzoate, with a mouse drinking 3-5ml a day, inhibited EAE. In this study they gave 50-200mg/kg of cinnamon powder (about 1-4mg) of cinnamon orally, so I wonder how much metabolised to sodium benzoate? All of it and more would have to to create 10mg of sodium benzoate.

Anyway the data look clear and there is an inhibitory effect when the cinnamon powder was given around disease onset, suggesting that this can suppress the immune system.
It was shown that cinnamon powder limited immune activation and white cells entering the CNS, therefore inhibits everything down stream of this, like demyelination cytokines, etc, as would be expected.
The action appears because it is increasing regulatory T cells, (Tregs) inhibiting Th17 and switching Th1 to Th2 and so we have the full regulatory gamut, but the action was via Tregs that could suppress EAE as shown by transfer and by blockade of T cell function.

However, guideline 19 of the ARRIVE guidelines (about reporting animal experiments) requests discussion the translatability of the work. Whilst we know that PLOS One has not been implementing these guidelines as we showed recently. Feeding of mice with 50-100mg/kg of cinamon powder is equivalent of eating about 3.5g/day more ususally 7g/day or a quarter/forth of a 35g jar of cinnamon spice a day in human terms. However, if the "rule of twelve" of dosing mouse to man applies then it is not a quarter of a jar but half a gramme and about a fiftieth of a jar.

I like cinnamon, so out of interest I had a quick look this morning.I got the weighing scales out, but had not got up to 1g and there was loads of powder. So I can say cinnamon powder floats on water, after all it is bark dust. In this study they mixed it with methly cellulose i.e. wall-paper paste in this study to get it into suspension/solution.

I must admit even a small amount on a teaspoon tasted disgusting and very over powering. Maybe if it were mixed with ice cream. Alternatively how much cinnamon toothpaste could you eat?

Seriously,if they dosed properly, the mice would not have tasted it as the dosing bypasses the tongue.
The control in this study was just wall paper paste and water.What would the effect have been with nutmeg or garam marsala used as a control?

One question could be if "stress" in response to an adverse effect of cinnamon powder was the mechanism of action of cinnamon and if the inhibitory effect of stress is mediated by T reg cells, then blocking the T reg response would block the inhibitory effect of cinnamon.

However, if this level of cinnamon was so good at blocking the immune response, then I would expect that you would see consequences of immune-suppression in cinnamon eaters.

Do we?

This is the problem I have with nutriceuticals, is that as they are normally taken with essentially no side-effects. How can this be?, if they really are that active.

Will trials be done in MS? I guess the authors will have the problem... who will pay for them. But for a £1 a week it would be cost effective if cinnamon powder really did work.

The data look compelling and it should be an easy experiment to see if cinnamon can really effect T reg function in humans. This could be done in a few days based on the work presented here, before any trials are needed and this would cost a lot less than the animal work shown in this study.

I suggest that this is shown before you start consuming a few teaspoons as day, as we have already had salt water and a load of other things that can be just as effective in EAE.

Wouldn't it be funny if cinnamon could knock pharma of their perches..but do you think this would ever happen?

8 comments:
  1. anon36.png

    AnonymousMonday, January 12, 2015 6:34:00 am
    If you think it is sodium benzoate then that is already added to many foods as a preservative... Just seen it on a jar of pickled herring in mustard sauce and a bottle of ketchup.

    Monday, January 12, 2015 7:48:00 am
    I read a year or two ago that caffine can cure EAE. Also that drinking caffine can cure tinnitus. I'm not so sure, what do you think MD about caffine curing EAE?
    I do have some ear sensations like something goes into spasm in my ear occasionally and am seeing an ENT consultant in two weeks time. I am sensitive to caffine and it agrivates me, it makes my anxiety worse. When my anxiety gets worse my MS seems to worsen.

    MouseDoctor2Monday, January 12, 2015 9:48:00 am
    There seems to be quite a lot of data showing that caffeine can be neuroprotective, though obviously there are side-effetcs.

  2. mousedoctorpic.JPG

    MouseDoctorMonday, January 12, 2015 10:27:00 am
    Your experience suggests that caffine is not a cure...but it was an "EAE Cure of the Week" and as to curing EAE I think it unlikely, but we have do data on this and so can not speak with any authority.


    Monday, January 12, 2015 9:16:00 am
    "I must admit even a small amount on a teaspoon tasted disgusting and very over powering. Maybe if it were mixed with ice cream".
    Home made doughnuts, put some clear runny honey on top and spinkled with a good helping of cinnamon.. Very yummy...

    MouseDoctorMonday, January 12, 2015 10:31:00 am
    but 7 grammes, so a few tablespoons what would Mary Berry think of that?

    Monday, January 12, 2015 5:11:00 pm
    A possible Ph.D. project?

    MouseDoctorMonday, January 12, 2015 7:03:00 pm
    Maybe.
    i had a terrible sore throat this morning was it an infection due to immunosuppression because of the cinnamon or because i was sitting in a windy cold football stadium?
 

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
Thanks for posting, eco. I don't fully understand the article, but it seems there might be some therapeutic potential for some immune diseases, to be found in spices such as cinnamon and turmeric. My understanding is that cinnamon is toxic to the liver and kidney, so I'm not sure if it's a good idea to take it as a supplement.
 
Last edited:

Martial

Senior Member
Messages
1,409
Location
Ventura, CA
I always added it to my food, good to know it has other benefits. People have been making essential oil cinnamon for a while with claims in being anti bacterial, anti parasatic, interesting to have some hard science behind it now.
 

barbc56

Senior Member
Messages
3,657
My understanding is that cinnamon is toxic to the liver and kidney, so I'm not sure if it's a good idea to take it as a supplement.

Cinnamon has indeed been linked to liver toxcicity. I love cinnamon buns as well as a flavoring. :(
Coumarin is a flavouring which is found in higher concentrations in the types of cinnamon grouped together under the name “cassia cinnamon”. Relatively small amounts of coumarin can already damage the liver of particularly sensitive individuals. However, this is not permanent damage. Isolated coumarin may not be added to foods. If coumarin is contained in parts of plants added to flavour foods, then it is limited to two milligrams per kilogram food. Checks by the official food control authorities had shown that this level has been exceeded, in some cases considerably, in cinnamon biscuits.

http://www.bfr.bund.de/en/frequentl...oumarin_in_cinnamon_and_other_foods-8487.html

This is the problem I have with nutriceuticals, is that as they are normally taken with essentially no side-effects. How can this be?, if they really are that active.

If a supplement, vitamin, herbal product truely has medicinal effects, then it's technically a drug and like drugs, there are side effects. The difference, at least in the US, is that supplements, etc. are exempt from quality control, but that also depends on the manufacturer as far as the extent of monitoring. But adverse events still do not have to be reported before marketing. Many
pharmaceutical drugs and OTC medications are made with these ingredients, especially plant basedl

Nevertheless, interesting!

Thanks.

Barb

ETA
Wallpaper paste?
 

L'engle

moogle
Messages
3,200
Location
Canada
@Bob, @barbc56 and others: Only conventional cinnamon is problematic. Ceylon cinnamon is not harmful and actually tastes better. I found it on iherb. It is harder to get but not more expensive. A bottle was still only 5$. No need to give up cinnamon :D

I wonder if the study used ceylon cinnamon.
 
Messages
7
Location
the Netherlands
Searching for topics on cinnamon research and patients´ experiences with cinnamon I found this thread. I started taking small doses of diluted Ceylon cinnamon leaf oil as a supplement in august and so far my experience is definitely positive.
The theurapeutic effect of cinnamon leaf oil on the immune system may be well worth studying but I´m afraid this will not happen in the near future.
 
Messages
7
Location
the Netherlands
It´s from Magical Naturals.

If you consider ordering it from any supplier always be sure that it´s steam distilled and preferably organic leaf oil from Cinnamomum zeylanicum from Sri Lanka.
Don´t forget to make a 2 - 4% dilution (in olive oil, line seed oil or other vegetable oil) !!!
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
I am close to a cinnamon addict, though this is second to licorice/aniseed. I keep trying to find cinnamon chewing gum, but its not sold in Australia that I can see.

As always this needs better study in humans. However, I like cinnamon. Indeed, I found this thread just after making a cup of black unsweetened coffee. With cinnamon in it.
 

IreneF

Senior Member
Messages
1,552
Location
San Francisco
One problem with this info is that we don't know what component of the cinnamon might be effective. Like all plants, cinnamon is a mix of chemicals, and there can be quite a bit of variation among plants. I got a rash once from the essential oil, so it's not something I'd want to swallow in large amounts.
 
Messages
7
Location
the Netherlands
Cinnamon bark oil and cinnamon leaf oil differ in their chemical composition.
With he leaf oil I have been trying for 12 weeks I have experienced a strong and direct effect on my immune system / lymphatic system, whith a positive net effect.
I will continue this protocol for at least a few months more.

There could be an immune modulating effect but It feels more like something in the cinnamon oil is killing something within my lymphatic system...
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
Only conventional cinnamon is problematic. Ceylon cinnamon is not harmful and actually tastes better. I found it on iherb. It is harder to get but not more expensive.

Yes I believe it is the high levels of coumarin found in regular cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) that may cause liver damage; but coumarin is only found in minuscule quantities in Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum).
 

helen1

Senior Member
Messages
1,033
Location
Canada
I'm using ceylon cinammon as part of an anti SIBO protocol. So using it not as antiviral but antibacterial.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
You cannot have cinnamon with MCAS but am wondering if ceylon cinnamon is different if anyone knows?