As the weather shifts from cold to warm, the chances for getting sick increases. Recent years have shown us that we need to be even more proactive about our health to keep our immunity strong. Minimizing symptoms and getting well quickly are important and might be important to look for something other than traditional cold medicines to help you take care of those symptoms right away.
Natural remedies made with organic ingredients are a good option. Ceylon cinnamon and organic honey might top that list as its benefits are being backed up more and more by recent scientific studies. This combination is known not only to heal but also to give your body the immune boost it needs, through antioxidants to feel better faster.
But what does that mean for you when you feel a cold coming on? Let’s look at how cinnamon and honey can help you the next time you’re feeling under the weather.
What the Research Says About Honey and Cinnamon for Coughs and Colds:
Researchers revealed in recent research that honey was more effective for relieving cold and flu-like symptoms than the standard commercial options found on drugstore shelves. It may even be a safer, cheaper, and better alternative to antibiotics.
Honey has long been used since ancient times for relieving a number of ailments, even healing wounds. However, it’s only been in more recent years that researchers have been able to back up the claim that it can be an effective remedy for coughs and colds. According to a study published in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine from Physicians from Oxford University’s Medical School, they found honey was superior for improving the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections.
Because organic honey has antibacterial, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties, it is quite effective at fighting infections. Then there’s cinnamon, a great partner for honey because it is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant rich. Cinnamon has been used for centuries in Asian countries that include Japan and China for treatment of fevers, colds, and inflammation.
Now with research from Dr. Milton Schiffenbauer and his colleagues at the New York School of Career and Applied Studies, there is more backing to the claims that cinnamon can help with cold and flu symptoms. In the study, Dr. Schiffenbauer compared cinnamon (both Saigon and liquid Ceylon cinnamon varieties) and found that cinnamon deactivated viruses in certain organisms. In fact, an extract with only 10% cinnamon was capable of deactivating the virus 99.9% to 100% after only 10 minutes.
Use the Right Honey and Cinnamon
Unfortunately, the honey you see on supermarket shelves is highly processed and full of sugar. It’s not real and pure honey. If you want the effects honey can provide for healing cough and cold symptoms, you’ll need to use raw organic honey as it contains those beneficial compounds that will help you fight off illnesses.
As for the cinnamon, choosing liquid Ceylon cinnamon is better than cassia cinnamon, which is what you probably have in your spice rack. Liquid Ceylon cinnamon has more nutrients, and as a side bonus, it has a sweeter taste too. Adding it with honey will only sweeten your way to better health!
