Although cholesterol sometimes gets a bad rap, it's vital for a number of functions in your body, including vitamin D synthesis and hormone production. However, too much bad low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol can increase your risk for heart disease by forming plaque inside your artery walls. Evidence indicates that adding cinnamon and honey to your daily diet might help lower cholesterol, particularly LDL cholesterol.
Honey
Honey might lower LDL cholesterol in normal and hyperlipidemic people, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Islamic Establishment for Education in the United Arab Emirates. Subjects with normal cholesterol and hyperlipidemic, or high lipid levels, were assigned to receive 250 ml of water containing 75 g of honey daily for 15 days. At the end of the study, which was published in the Spring 2004 issue of the "Journal of Medicinal Food," scientists discovered that both groups experienced decreases in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
Overweight Subjects
Similar results were also reported in another study published in the April 2008 issue of the "Scientific World Journal." Researchers from Mashhad University of Medical Science in Iran examined the impact of honey on total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in overweight subjects. Participants consumed 70 g of honey or sucrose daily for 30 days. Scientists observed that those in the honey group experienced reductions in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon contains a high amount of antioxidants, which might improve cholesterol levels. Researchers at the NWFP Agricultural University in Pakistan discovered that type 2 diabetics consuming 1, 3 or 6 g of cinnamon daily for 40 days lowered their total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Although cinnamon shows promise in lowering cholesterol in type 2 diabetics, further research on non-diabetics is needed. The findings were published in the December 2003 issue of "Diabetes Care."
Dosage
Honey and cinnamon can be an effective addition to a diet aiming to lower cholesterol. Consuming 70 to 75 g of honey daily for at least 30 days and 1, 3 or 6 g of cinnamon daily for 40 days seems to be effective for reducing cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol.
References
- "Journal of Medicinal Food"; Natural Honey Lowers Plasma Glucose, C-Reactive Protein, Homocysteine, and Blood Lipids in Healthy, Diabetic, and Hyperlipidemic Subjects: Comparison With Dextrose and Sucrose; N.S. AL-Waili; Spring 2004
- "Scientific World Journal"; Natural Honey and Cardiovascular Risk Factors; Effects on Blood Gucose, Cholesterol, Triacylglycerole, CRP, and Body Weight Compared With Sucrose; N. Yaghoobi et al.; April 2008
- "Diabetes Care"; Cinnamon Improves Glucose and Lipids of People With Type 2 Diabetes; A. Khan et al.; December 2003
