The combined properties of cinnamon and honey offer an abundance of benefits that exceed those found individually. Aside from the benefit of their complementary flavors, cinnamon and honey can play crucial roles in sugar metabolism for diabetic patients. Their collective antibacterial efforts can also be potent contributors to the healing process of wounds. A spoonful of honey and two cinnamon sticks steeped in 8 ounces of hot water can be consumed or used in healing poultices or baths.
Blood Sugar Control
A recent article published at Life Extension magazine states that water-soluble polyphenols found in cinnamon help to regulate the genes involved in blood sugar control through an increase in metabolic action. This has been found especially helpful in promoting balanced blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. According to the World's Healthiest Foods, honey also plays a role in sugar metabolism by unlocking enzymes in the liver necessary for the production of glycogen, the fuel that prevents the brain from releasing adrenaline and cortisol during extended sleep and exercise.
Antimicrobial
Research performed at Cumhuriyet University in Turkey has found cinnamon to be an effective antimicrobial treatment of microorganisms. The study tested cinnamon bark compounds against 21 bacteria and four Candida species, all of which became either cytotoxic or caused cell death. Similar research on the efficacy of honey in wound healing was recently conducted at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. The study found pure honey made by honeybees of the Ulmo tree to effectively combat five strains of bacteria.
Accelerated Healing
According to Peter Charles Molan, director of the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato, when honey is diluted, its enzymes heighten a propensity for antibacterial activity by creating the antimicrobial agent, hydrogen peroxide. For this reason honey has been used historically as a topical treatment for infected wounds. According to researchers at Ain Shams University in Cairo, the antioxidants in cinnamon work to repair and prevent damage to cells and ultimately organs by scavenging free radicals.
References
- The World's Healthiest Foods: Honey
- Life Extension Magazine: Metabolic Syndrome
- U.S. National Library of Medicine: Composition, Antimicrobial Activity and In Vitro Cytotoxicity of Essential Oil From Cinnamomum
- U.S. National Library of Medicine: Comparison of the Antimicrobial Activity of Ulmo Honey from Chile and Manuko Against Methicillan Bacteria
- World Wide Wounds: Honey as a Topical Antibacterial Agent for Treatment of Infected Wounds
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