Honey and Cinnamon

 

     Both honey and cinnamon have long been regarded throughout the world as having medicinal properties. They both have a long history in folk medicine, but as science progressed, many experts pushed the folk remedies aside for more evidence-based, pharmaceutical grade cures.  Claims have been made about their synergistic effects on health, although many experts consider these assertions to be ridiculousness.  I would like to explore the facts and claims about these two materials and tell you about my experiences involving both.  Then I’ll share a yummy recipe!

     Natural, unprocessed, raw honey is a well-known antibacterial agent and has been used since the time of the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks on burns and other wounds to ward off infection and promote healing, although they may not have understood the underlying mechanisms for the substances properties.  Honey kills bacteria by sucking the moisture out of the environment and thus dehydrating the bacteria.  It (obviously) also has a high sugar content that impedes microbe growth, but even in trials involving diluted honey, it stunted the growth of bacteria colonies.  It has been reported that honey contains a compound that “kills” the influenza virus as well and thus prevents someone from falling ill with the flu, but as I have not located this study, so I’m not quite sure of this claim’s validity.  Honey also has been observed to have anti-inflammatory properties and faster healing, but the mechanisms behind these phenomena are not completely understood.  Since ancient times, honey has recently found its place in modern medicine – it is now used in hospital-grade bandages!  Studies done with these bandages have shown marked decrease in bacterial growth, even in cases involving antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and decreased healing time.  Studies in oncology have also found that the ingestion of 20ml of honey 15 minutes before, 15 minutes after, and 6 hours after “cancer treatments” significantly decreased the more severe cases of mucositis, a nasty side effect from both chemo and radiation that results in the inflammation and ulceration of the mucous membranes lining the whole of the digestive tract.

     Cinnamon also has a long history in folk medicine, but it seems Western medicine is not quite as excited about regarding it as a pharmaceutical grade treatment for anything since studies seem to elicit inconclusive results.  However, it has been determined that the cassia type of cinnamon seems to be healthier than the Ceylon type of cinnamon.  Cassia cinnamon has been thought to decrease blood sugar levels by shortening the gastric emptying rate, lower cholesterol, help with inflammation, and fight bacteria.  As the studies are inconclusive, mechanisms for each have not been exactly determined.  Researchers are currently looking into how cinnamon may inhibit the growth of Candida yeast infections2 teaspoons of cinnamon does contain 45% of your daily manganese, 11% of your fiber, and 5% of your calcium with 0 calories.

     Together, honey and cinnamon are supposed to treat heart disease, bladder infections, toothaches, cholesterol, colds, upset stomach, gas, immune system, indigestion, influenza, pimples, skin infections, cancer and fatigue.  So basically it’s supposed to cure…everything?  

     From my own personal experience, I can say that I think at least some of assertions seem to be true.  I started eating my favorite honey-cinnamon toast around the time I started working in pediatrics in December; I decided to try it one day before work because I thought it sounded tasty.  I had gotten sick maybe 3 or 4 times with colds or various stomach bugs over the course of nursing school and my first 6 months as a RN.  I can say that I haven’t gotten sick since I started working in ped’s and eating my toast, and it’s definitely not because I haven’t been exposed to illnesses, especially since I started working in the midst of RSV season.  Maybe my immunity had just been built up over the last 2.5 years I had spent in the hospital, but I am somewhat inclined to believe my toast has something to do with keeping me healthy.   

Honey Cinnamon Toast: 

I make this every morning before going into work.  I think it tastes like a dessert!  Nothing is precise – just spread however much you think you need.  It’s just toast!

Ingredients:

1 slice whole grain bread

Small pat of butter – just enough to coat the toast lightly

Smear of raw honey – about 1-2tbsp

1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Toast a slice of whole grain bread.  Spread on your butter, followed by the honey.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Eat it warm while the honey is extra gooey!

                                                     xoxo,
                                                               Alena

By the way, if anyone is interested, I got a lot of the honey information out of this really interesting article from the NIH website: 

Simon, Arne, Kirsten Traynor, Kai Santos, Gisela Blaser, Udo Bode, and Peter Molan. "Medical Honey for Wound Care  - Still the ‘Latest Resort’." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 07 Jan. 2008. Web. 05 July 2013.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2686636/