Cinnamon can help you control your blood sugar and increase glucose metabolism, so adding it to a diet plan seems to make sense. However, the honey and cinnamon tea diet is a weight-loss fad that may not produce the results you want. Always consult a physician before trying a new weight loss plan.
Features
If you are following the honey and cinnamon diet, you do not have to do anything other than drink tea made from honey and cinnamon twice a day. Otherwise, there's no specific meal or exercise plan to follow. While possibly ineffective, it is an inexpensive diet to follow, notes the Diet Choices website.
Theories/Speculation
The idea behind the honey and cinnamon tea diet is that this tea will prevent your body from storing fat, according to the Diet Choices website. However, the premise is based on folk medicine uses for both of these substances, not science.
Potential
Drinking tea with cinnamon can lower the glycemic load of a meal. That means a slower increase in blood-sugar and insulin levels. Larger fluctuations lead to more fat storage. People following the honey and cinnamon tea diet, however, are advised to brew and drink the tea shortly after waking and right before bed rather than to consume it along with a meal.
Considerations
You should only use ¼ to 1 tsp. cinnamon a day overall, say Lucy Beale and Joan Clark, authors of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss." This helps you avoid adverse effects caused by coumarin. Coumarin is one of the flavorings in cinnamon. It can cause cancer or mutations if too much of it is consumed. However, since coumarin contained in the isoluable portions of the spice, you can boil your cinnamon in water, pour out the liquid and discard the solids if you want to consume more than 1 tsp. a day, the authors note.
Expert Insight
Honey can have a negative impact on your blood sugar levels, so drinking it in combination with cinnamon may cancel out the cinnamon's benefits, according to Diet Choices. However, honey and cinnamon may help you counter cravings, notes Patrick Hafner, author of "The Ounces Countdown Weight Loss Approach." A tablespoon of honey has about 50 calories, which is a better alternative than many high-calorie treats.
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