Cinnamon

Beta-amyloid plaques are one of the trademarks of Alzheimer's disease. The other is tangles in the brain made of tau proteins that can cause brain cells to die.

Emerging research from the University of California at Santa Barbara reveals that two compounds in cinnamon -- proanthocyanidins and cinnamaldehyde -- may inactivate these tau proteins.

While this research is still in its infancy, a sprinkle of cinnamon on your oatmeal or yogurt certainly couldn't hurt.