Hopeful newcomers to holistic health marvel at reports about honey and
cinnamon as a miracle cure-all. On the other hand, alternative health
skeptics scoff at the notion of cinnamon and honey as medicine, pointing
out that the plethora of articles about the curative benefits of this
food duo originated with a 1995 article in the tabloid newspaper Weekly
World News. The truth is that cinnamon and honey have been used to
promote health for centuries, but their efficacy depends largely on a
lifestyle of energetic activity and whole foods.
Traditional Healing
In
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), cinnamon is viewed as possessing
heat or yang, and is thus used to cure ills stemming from excess yin or
coldness. Honey, in this system, is viewed as a neutral substance,
balanced between yin and yang. Ancient practitioners of India's healing
tradition, Ayurveda (from the Sanskrit Ayur meaning life and Veda
meaning knowledge), classified 8 different varieties of honey each with
its own healing properties. Ayurvedic healers use cinnamon to help heal
gum disease, erectile dysfunction, and many other conditions.
Honey and Cinnamon Benefits
Folk
wisdom still retains knowledge of the healing properties of both honey
and cinnamon. Honey and cinnamon are still used as medicine in many
situations, especially among people who, because of distance or income,
have reduced access to mainstream health care.
Honey possesses
natural anti-bacterial properties. Honey poured on wounds or burns
prevents infection and promotes healing. Regular consumption of honey
and cinnamon
together, when combined with an overall healthy diet and moderate
activity level, can prevent heart disease by clearing clogged arteries.
Drinking
honey and cinnamon in lukewarm water results in them moving through the
bladder and cleansing it, as well as clearing infections there.
Drinking this beverage on a regular basis can also relieve, and in some
cases entirely cure, arthritis pain.
This drink also strengthens the immune system, helping ward off colds as well as some viruses. Applying a paste of honey and cinnamon to infected gums can ease pain and bleeding as well as slow the progression of the infection.
When
consumed together, honey and cinnamon can ease digestion, helping to
prevent gas. Honey and cinnamon also provide energy, making people more
mentally alert and ready for physical activity.
The two biggest
claims for honey and cinnamon are that they enhance the ability to lose
weight, and they are effective against some forms of cancer.
While
these latter two claims are unproven, however nature does provide an
amazing range of natural healing substances, most of which are untested
by medical science. Relying exclusively on honey and cinnamon for either
weight loss or eliminating cancer is not advisable.
How to Gain Maximum Benefits
Cinnamon
and honey can boost your health, both separately and in combination.
However, our modern dependence on the pharmaceutical industry has fooled
us into believing that medicines should be able to provide a cure
regardless of lifestyle. If you follow health
news, it becomes obvious that the pharmaceutical industry's "magic
bullet" drugs make one set of symptoms disappear, only to create a new
set of symptoms.
Disease results from imbalance, so finding
health and balance again requires a recalibration of choices about how
we live. A couch potato who follows up a dinner of fried chicken and
potato chips with a dessert of cinnamon and honey will receive few
health benefits. You are more likely to reap the full healing power when
you include honey and cinnamon as part of your healthy lifestyle.
Sources: naturalnews