Healing Power Of Honey
Honey has been used since ancient times to treat multiple conditions. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that researchers discovered that honey has natural antibacterial qualities.
Honey protects the body against damage caused by bacteria. Some honeys also boost production of special cells that can repair tissue damaged by infection. Manuka honey has an anti-inflammatory action that can help easepain and inflammation.
However, not all honey is the same. The antibacterial quality of honey depends on the type of honey as well as when and how it’s harvested. Some kinds may be 100 times more potent than others.
The History And Science Behind Honey And Cinnamon
The use of honey has been well-documented since antiquity, dating as far back as the Stone Age. In the fourth century B.C., the Sumerians of Mesopotamia, a region once spanning most of modern-day Iraq and eastern Syria, documented the sweet, viscous syrup as both nutritional and medical, even using it as an ointment. Ancient texts penned by the fathers of early medicine like Aristotle and Hippocrates, as well as Arab and Ayurvedic doctors, also recognized honeys medicinal benefits.
In the last 20 years or so, scientists have uncovered much about this food made by the humble bee.
Bees collect the dilute-sugary nectar of flora plants, produce an enzymatic activity after ingestion, regurgitate it into honey cells and evaporate a high percentage of water out of it, Dana Hunnes, a senior dietitian at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, explained to Time last year.
The end product honey consists of simple sugar molecules, mostly fructose and glucose, which can be easily used by the body for energy.
The rest of honeys chemical composition is made up of enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc and potassium to name a few. And much of its prized pharmacological effect comes from antioxidants called polyphenols.
These compounds are responsible for some of honeys potential health benefits and part of what distinguishes the sweetener from more traditional ones like sugar, Jenny Friedman, a Philadelphia-based registered dietitian, told Time last year.
Apple Cider Vinegar And Honey
When taken together, apple cider vinegar and honey create an alkalizing effect, which helps to create the right environment in the stomach and boosts the digestive process. It detoxifies the system by eliminating toxins from the body. It contains minerals such as potassium, pectin, natural silicon, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and tartaric acids. Taking honey with vinegar maintains a healthy acid-alkaline balance.
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Our Ruling: Partly False
We rate the health claim of honey and cinnamon as a cure for most diseases PARTLY FALSE because some of it was not supported by our research. While its true honey and cinnamon individually may help improve and even protect against some diseases, there is a lack of studies looking at both honey and cinnamon together. There’s no scientific evidence backing improving hearing loss and the claim of weight loss may be inferred but has not been confirmed. The prescribed dosages mentioned exceed the recommended daily servings and could be potentially harmful.
Potential Health Benefits Of Honey And Cinnamon
Considering that both honey and cinnamon have health benefits individually, it is unsurprising that they are also helpful when paired. The extent of these benefits is still being researched. Here are some of the benefits of honey and cinnamon that scientists have discovered.
Reduce Risk of Heart Disease
Individually, both honey and cinnamon may lower risks of developing heart disease. Honey has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels by 6%, triglyceride levels by 11%, and potentially boost HDL cholesterol levels.
Cinnamon, in turn, has been shown to reduce total cholesterol levels.
Since high cholesterol is linked to an increased risk of developing heart disease, the cholesterol-reducing effects of both honey and cinnamon together may reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
Heal Wounds
Honey has been shown to help heal wounds, including foot ulcers caused as a complication of diabetes.
Cinnamon may also help heal wounds. A test-tube study found that cinnamon oil helped protect wounds against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, further studies are needed to determine whether these effects would be helpful outside of a lab.
Arthritis Treatment
Cure for Bladder Infections
Studies have shown that a mixture of honey and cinnamon can kill germs in the bladder. If youâre suffering from a bladder infection, a mixture of honey and cinnamon may provide a cure.
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The Benefits Of Apple Cider Vinegar For Treating Arthritis
There are actually over 100 different types of arthritis that have been identified, but these are the two most commonly found types:
Osteoarthritis This type of arthritis is most commonly associated with aging and its characterized by chronic inflammation of the joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis This is the most common type of arthritis that causes inflammation and it predominantly affects the joints in the body. It is classified as an autoimmune disease and researchers are just beginning to understand it.
Apple cider vinegar has a pain-relieving effect that is beneficial for arthritis sufferers looking for a natural way to find pain relief, and this analgesic effect can be further amplified by combining ACV with other natural foods.
Part of the reason for ACVs pain-relieving effects are its high acetic acid content, which can help to negate excessive acidity in the blood that can lead to inflammation and thus, pain. 2 While ACV contains aetic acid, once ACV is metabolized in the body, it turns alkaline.
ACV is also rich in antioxidants, which can help to ward off the damage from free radicals in the body that can contribute to stiff, painful joints in people suffering from arthritis.
Honey And Cider Vinegar Remedy
The combination of honey and cider vinegar is also an extremely well known home remedy for arthritis. All over the world, people have so passionately testified about how this cleansing drink has helped them find relief in joint pains. Many nutritionists believe that in this detox drink you can find minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, natural silicon, pectin, and tartaric acids that are effective in fighting body toxins, inhibiting bacteria and helping the body to maintain its vital acid-alkaline balance.
To prepare this health tonic, mix two teaspoons of vinegar and two teaspoons of raw honey into a glass of warm water, and drink this three times a day. It may take several weeks to see the effects. Dr. D.C. Jarvis in his book
Arthritis and Folk Medicine also offered the same folk medicine prescription for arthritis pain. He believes that treatment of arthritis, and many other health problems, must begin in the stomach. Jarvis found that when an apple cider vinegar cocktail is taken daily, calcium deposits are released back into solution in the bloodstream to be re-circulated to the bones, thus obtaining arthritis pain relief and preventing osteoporosis.
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What The Science Says About Manuka Honey
Several recent studies show Manuka honey can be helpful when itâs used on top of wounds and leg ulcers. Studies also show it might fight infection and boost healing.
The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database lists honey as being “possibly effective” to treat burns and wounds. The Cochrane Review notes that honey may shorten healing times in mild burns and surgical wounds compared with traditional dressings. But they also say more research needs to be done.
Another study suggests that Manuka honey may help prevent gingivitis and other periodontal disease by reducing the buildup of plaque. In some studies, Manuka honey seemed to help prevent inflammation in the esophagus caused by radiation and chemotherapy used for cancer.
Another possible benefit of honey is that, unlike antibiotics, it doesnât appear to lead to resistant bacteria. These so-called “superbugs” develop after repeated exposure to common antibiotics. Special antibiotics are needed to treat them.
Most of the studies on Manuka honey have been with small numbers of people, and so far, research hasnât shown that Manuka honey helps with high cholesterol or balancing the bacteria in the gut. Furthermore, no major studies have looked at the effect of Manuka honey on cancer, diabetes, or fungal infections.
Bioaccessibility And Bioavailability Of Honey Polyphenols
The presence of polyphenol in honey is believed to be from the plantâs nectar while polyphenols quality and quantity depend on the geographical region, floral source, climatic conditions, and bee type . Therefore, one study has suggested that polyphenol profile of honey could be as a floral marker to verify the botanical origin . The attempts to identify the phenolic profile of honey samples have been noticed in many food analytical studies . Most of these studies have utilized mainly HPLC-UV and HPLC-DAD for quantification and identification purposes with various modified methods. However, LC-MS/MS has been concluded to be more accurate than LC-MS, while GC-MS has been recruited mainly to identify the volatile compounds . Furthermore, the previous mentioned technologies contribute to creating phenolic profiles for many types of honey despite of the complex chemical structure of honey. Thus, developing an optimized method to identify and quantify polyphenols in honey is still required.
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Honey Cinnamon And Green Tea
Honey and green tea are anti-oxidant and help in reducing inflammation. When honey and green tea are added to cinnamon, it turns into a useful tonic. Most sufferers report that it helps a lot to drink the mixture while some users reported that drinking the mixture and massaging the inflamed joints with it has a great soothing effect.
How Manuka Honey Might Help
In addition to being a powerful antibiotic, Manuka honey also functions as a natural anti-inflammatory.
Manuka honey contains two natural anti-inflammatory agents: Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate. Both of these have been shown to stimulate the manufacture of the elements necessary for the repair of joint cartilage. And both help with reducing pain and inflammation.
When applied to the skin, honey has a tendency to soak in deep, carrying the soothing properties of the Manuka to the inflamed and damaged tissue.
For those who want to avoid the stickiness of using the honey in its natural state, creams and lotions are available which contains Manuka honey in a non-sticky, readily absorbed formulation.
Will Manuka honey cure arthritis? No. Will it offer complete arthritis pain relief? Probably not.
Will it help with arthritis pain management? It just might. And that makes it worth adding to the arsenal.
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Can Apple Cider Vinegar And Honey Ease Arthritis
Samantha has been a legal secretary for over 40 years. Those years of typing took a toll, and she was recently diagnosed with arthritis in her fingers. Not wanting to endure the pain, Samantha found relief from an unexpected source ??? apple cider vinegar and honey.
When did you first begin noticing your arthritis symptoms?
About three years ago. My thumb hurt very badly. It was extremely sore, and I couldn’t bend it easily. The knuckle had gotten big and out of shape.
I also felt a grating sensation in my thumb when I tried to move it. It would “pop” from time to time, too.
It turned out that I had a bone spur, or extra bits of bone that form around the joint.
What caused your arthritis?
I believe it was caused by the repetitive motion of typing all these years. The Mayo Clinic explains that osteoarthritis is caused by the cartilage in your joints deteriorating over time. Repetitive motions can deteriorate the cartilage more quickly.
Did you visit your health care provider?
I did go to the doctor, who told me I had osteoarthritis. My doctor told me that there was nothing you can do to stop it from getting worse and that there is also no treatment for osteoarthritis. All you can do is manage the pain.
The Mayo Clinic supported what my doctor told me, explaining that treatments are geared toward pain management and maintaining joint movement and flexibility.
Were you upset by the diagnosis?
I had developed arthritis in my knees, so it felt like I was hurting everywhere!
Best Drinks For Arthritis
Get recommendations for staying hydrating to support overall health.
Theres an old saying you are what you eat. But what you drink, and how much you drink, can have an enormous effect on your body and health, too. Beverage Basics Start every day with a glass of water before you eat any food, since most people wake up a bit dehydrated, says Sonya Angelone, a dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Its also best to stick with water throughout the day, she says. The typical recommendation is eight glasses a day. In general, avoid soda since it can be full of sugar, aspartame and phosphoric acid. The latter can negatively affect your bodys ability to absorb calcium. Water can get a bit boring, but there are other ways to stay healthy and hydrated. These recommendations can help you understand the benefits and drawbacks of popular beverages.
Nutrition
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So What Is This Manuka Honey All About
Honey has natural antibiotic properties and can be used a number of ways to treat a variety of different things. But not all honey is the same. Some honey is more potent than others, and manuka honey is the cream of the crop. Manuka honey comes from New Zealand by bees that pollinate the manuka bush. It contains methylglyoxal . MG is found in most types of honey but in small quantities. In manuka honey, the MG is much higher than regular honey. The higher the MG, the stronger the antibiotic effect. For this reason, the price point varies for manuka honey based on the amount of MG. I purchased manuka MG400. I think the lowest is 10 and the highest is 550.
Potential Health Benefits Of Honey Against Inflammation
Innate immunity relies strongly on inflammation which is defined generally as the natural response to cellular injury. The biological changes are 1) increased blood flow and capillary distillation, 2) leukocyte infiltration, and 3) releasing localized chemoattractants to recruiter immunity cells. The main objectives of these changes are to eliminate the pathogen agents and repair the damage tissue . However, non-resolving inflammation as result of chronic bacterial infection or obesity or aging paves the onset of low-grade chronic inflammation which subsequently develop various chronic diseases. In this context, supporting the consumption of natural products in favor of resolving inflammation and supporting hemostasis is the main reason for examining these products on numerous trials. Honey has been suggested as an immune-modulatory agent with dual role: anti-inflammatory activities through downregulating the inflammatory transcription factors and/or suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and stimulate the production of inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandin E2 and cyclooxygenase-2 . Various models of inflammation treated with honey have been studied to explain the honey bioactivities towards inflammation . Figure represent the schematic diagram on the inhibition of honey on various reactions in the inflammatory process.
Table 1 In vivo and in vitro studies on the effect of different types of honey
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How Manuka Honey Changed My Life
*Disclaimer- I am not a doctor, and this is not medical advice. This is simply my experience, and what I believe has helped greatly reduce my arthritic pain. Also, this is not a sponsored post. I genuinely like this product, purchased it on my own, and wanted to share my experience with you.
Up until about two weeks ago, every morning went like this:
I wake up in my pitch black bedroom around 3am from the pain in my joints. All the little joints in my hand feel enlarged. Knowing that movement helps stimulate synovial fluid, the stuff that lubes up your joints so you don’t feel like the Tin Man, I start moving my wrists and fingers and wince in pain as they loudly click. At some point, I fall back asleep.
8am, I wake up. I delicately pick my iPhone up and check my email in bed. The phone feels like a ten pound weight, and the joints in the hand holding it are screaming. I put the phone down. I use my abs to sit up in bed because if I push my hands into the mattress to help myself up I know it will be painful. My feet lightly touch the floor, and as I ease my way up off the bed, my knees make an audible pop and the small bones in my feet creak. I gingerly take my first few steps of the day, wincing in pain. The pain throughout my body will go on for a few hours and return right before I go to sleep at night. This is arthritis from my long battle with Lyme disease.
Honey And Cinnamon: A Powerful Remedy Or A Big Myth
Honey and cinnamon are two natural ingredients with multiple health benefits.
Some people claim that when these two ingredients are combined, they can cure almost any disease.
While theres evidence that each has some medicinal uses, several claims about the mixture of honey and cinnamon seem too good to be true.
This article reviews the benefits of honey and cinnamon, separating fact from fiction.
Honey is a sweet liquid produced by bees. It has been used for centuries as both a food and medicine.
Today its most commonly used in cooking and baking, or as a sweetener in beverages.
Meanwhile, cinnamon is a spice that comes from the bark of the Cinnamomum tree.
People harvest and dry its bark, which curls into what are commonly known as cinnamon sticks. You can purchase cinnamon as whole sticks, ground into a powder, or as an extract.
Both honey and cinnamon have multiple health benefits on their own. However, some people assume that combining the two is even more beneficial.
In 1995 a Canadian tabloid published an article that provided a long list of ailments that could be cured by a mixture of honey and cinnamon.
Since then, bold claims about the combination of honey and cinnamon have multiplied.
While these two ingredients have plenty of health applications, not all of the claims about combining the two are backed by science.
There are two major types:
Cinnamons health benefits are linked to active compounds in its essential oil.
SUMMARY
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