Honey and cinnamon possess significant medicinal virtues.
An item extolling the medicinal virtues of honey and cinnamon is based upon a 17 January 1995 article that appeared in the Weekly World News, the erstwhile supermarket tabloid known for publishing the fantastically fictional (it has since transitioned to an online medium), so as a piece of medical literature it should be taken with many grains of salt.In general, both cinnamon and honey have some moderate antibacterial/antiseptic properties, so the use of them may help ameliorate symptoms of minor ailments such as bladder infections, toothaches, pimples, and skin infections (if those ailments are being caused by bacteria that are sensitive to honey and/or cinnamon). However, neither honey nor cinnamon provides broad-spectrum relief of pain or other symptoms, and more efficacious remedies for all of these problems are readily and cheaply available.As for the more grandiose medical claims made here, however, there's no credible evidence that either honey or cinnamon is effective in lowering cholesterol levels and thereby heading off heart attacks. And although some studies have tenatively found that honey and cinnamon may each potentially have properties that could aid in the prevention or suppression of some types of cancer, no study has documented that 'advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully' through the admnistration of those two substances.Honey and cinnamon (individually and together) have long been touted in folklore and traditional medicine as possessing significant nutritional and health benefits (even though how much those supposed benefits have been borne out by modern scientific studies varies quite widely). The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods notes of cinnamon, for example, that:Cinnamon has a long history of use in both Eastern and Western cultures as a medicine. Some of its reported uses are in cases of arthritis, asthma, cancer, diarrhea, fever, heart problems, insomnia, menstrual problems, peptic ulcers, psoriasis, and spastic muscles. There are scientific studies to support some of these uses. Some of the confirmed effects of cinnamon are as a sedative for smooth muscle, circulatory stimulant, carminative, digestant, anticonvulsant, diaphoretic, diuretic, antibiotic, and antiulcerative. One recent investigation of sixty people with type 2 diabetes demonstrated that 1 to 6 grams of cinnamon taken daily for forty days reduced fasting blood glucose by 18 to 29 percent, triglycerides by 23 to 30 percent, LDL (bad) cholesterol by 7 to 27 percent, and total cholesterol by 12 to 26 percent. In contrast, there were no clear changes for the subjects who did not take the cinnamon. Cinnamon's unique healing abilities come from three basic components in the essential oils found in its bark. These oils contain active components called cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol, plus a wide range of other volatile substances. Cinnamon is often used in multicomponent Chinese herbal formulas, some of which have been studied for clinical effects. For example, cinnamon combined with Chinese thoroughwax (Bupleurum lactiflora) was shown to produce satisfactory results in the treatment of epilepsy. Out of 433 patients treated (most of whom were unresponsive to anticonvulsant drugs), 115 were cured and another 79 improved greatly. Improvements were noted not only by clinical symptoms, but also by improvements in brain wave patterns. Other clinical studies have shown cinnamon-containing formulas to be useful in cases of the common cold, influenza, and frostbite. However, it is not really known to what degree the improvements noted are actually due to the cinnamon versus the other components.That same work also says of honey:Referred to in ancient Sumerian, Vedic, Egyptian, and biblical writings, honey has been employed since ancient times for both nutrition and healing medicine. For centuries honey has been a multipurpose food, used to give homage to the gods and to help embalm the dead, as well as for medical and cosmetic purposes. Some evidence suggests that despite the risk of bee sting, collection of honey has occurred since 7000 B.C.E., and since at least 700 B.C.E., beekeeping for the production of honey (apiculture) has been used. To the surprise of the Spanish conquistadors, the natives of Central and South America were already keeping bees for the purpose of collecting honey when they arrived. Honey was considered a food of the rich for many years. More recently, honey has decreased in popularity as refined sugar, which is cheaper and sweeter, has replaced the sweet, viscous liquid in common households all over the world. Honey is a source of riboflavin and vitamin B6. It also provides iron and manganese. A 3.5 ounce (100 gram) serving of honey provides 304 calories, mostly as 82.4 grams of carbohydrate, almost all of which is sugar, 0.3 grams of protein, and 0 grams of fat. However, honey is more likely to be consumed by the tablespoon (15 grams), which provides 64 calories, 17.3 grams of carbohydrate, and 0.1 grams of protein. The health benefits of a particular honey depend on its processing as well as the quality of the flowers the bees utilize when collecting the pollen. Raw honey is honey that has not been pasteurized, clarified, or filtered, and this form typically retains more of the healthful phytochemicals lost to the standard processing of honey. Propolis is a product of tree sap mixed with bee secretions that is used by bees to protect against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Propolis is unfortunately lost in honey processing, thus greatly reducing the level of phytochemicals known to protect against the germs; recent research suggests that these may also prevent certain types of cancer. Also important, healthy organic flowering plants will provide the raw nectar that will confer a higher-quality nutrient profile to the honey produced. Within the propolis are well-researched phytochemicals that have cancer-preventing and antitumor properties. These substances include caffeic acid, methyl caffeate, phenylethyl caffeate, phenylethyl dimethycaffeate. Researchers have discovered that these substances in propolis prevent colon cancer in animals by shutting down the activity of two enzymes, phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C and lipoxygenase, that are involved in the production of cancer-causing compounds. The following sections address the complete health benefits of honey in its raw form and of bee pollen, propolis, and royal jelly: Antioxidant Effects Honey, particularly darker honey, such as buckwheat honey, is a rich source of phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids, that exert significant antioxidant activity. Energy-Enhancing Effects Honey is an excellent source of readily available carbohydrate, a chief source of quick energy. Wound-Healing Properties The wound-healing properties of honey may be its most promising medicinal quality. Honey has been used topically as an antiseptic therapeutic agent for the treatment of ulcers, burns, and wounds for centuries. Anticancer Benefits Propolis contains well-researched phytochemicals that have numerous cancer-preventing and antitumor properties.Got a tip or a rumor? Contact us here.Snopes Delivered to Your Inbox: Feedback Sources Fact Checker: David Mikkelson Published: 16 March 2011
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