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Cinnamon, one of the world's three major spices, may help relieve symptoms of chronic migraines, according to a new study.

Professors Kwon Seung-won and Lee Han-gyul of the Stroke and Neurological Disorders Center at Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital said on Monday that they had confirmed the positive effects of cinnamon on hard-to-treat migraine symptoms. Chronic migraines refer to headaches that persist and worsen over time.

The researchers treated a 73-year-old man who had experienced no improvement despite taking migraine medication for three years following his diagnosis. He was prescribed herbal medicine containing cinnamon, and his symptoms were assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain.

The patient's NRS pain score (on a 10-point scale) and headache frequency (four times per week) gradually decreased depending on how many days he had taken the herbal treatment. By day 42, his NRS had dropped to 5 and the frequency to once a week — enough for him to discontinue his previous migraine medication. By day 146, his NRS was 2, and headaches occurred zero to one time per week, showing near-complete relief.

"Migraines and other forms of nerve pain are increasingly believed to be linked to inflammation," Lee said. "Our study suggests that cinnamon played a key role in alleviating migraine symptoms by inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines." Previous studies have also shown that cinnamon helps reduce inflammation, protect cells from damage and boost immunity.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.