Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenefitsRisks and Side EffectsPreparation
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Benefits
Risks and Side Effects
Preparation
Honey andcinnamonare typically known as sweet additions to recipes and warm beverages, but they may offer more than just great taste. Because honey and cinnamon have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, they may also be able to help people with arthritis.ALEAIMAGE/Getty ImagesBenefits for Arthritis PatientsThroughout history and still today, cinnamon has been considered a remedy for many ailments. It is used to relieve high blood pressure, toothache, arthritis, and more. Honey has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries and is known to have a number of amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. Research also shows that honey may have some anti-inflammatory properties.Honey and cinnamon are also used in Ayurvedic practices for items such as weight loss and indigestion.Ayurveda, which means “knowledge of life," believes in aligning balance within the mind, body, and spirit. It also follows the principle that disease is based on an imbalance in the body, stress, or the consciousness of the individual.CinnamonCinnamon is a spice that is sweet and has a lot of ingredients that are known to help your overall health. This spice has many nutrients such as fiber, calcium, iron,magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and more. With its antioxidant properties—such as cinnamaldehyde and cinematic acid—it is known to inhibit cell damage in the body.What Is Cinnamon?Cinnamon is found from the bark of cinnamon trees. There are many types of cinnamon that come from different parts of the world. The roots, fruits, flowers, and leaves of cinnamon trees have been used for spices, cooking, and medicinal purposes. Some of its nutrients include calcium, protein, iron, vitamin D, and potassium.Cinnamon is also known to help patients with arthritis due to its heavy antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Research has found that cinnamon has the highest antioxidant activity among 26 spices. Some of the antioxidant properties in cinnamon bark include:Procyanidin:This is also commonly found in fruits and vegetables such as berries, oranges, grapes, pineapples, carrots, eggplant, and nuts such as cashews, almonds, and walnuts. Procyanidins also have anti-inflammatory properties.Catechin:This helps prevent cell damage due to its antioxidant properties. Research has also shown that this property can also inhibit cartilage breakdown in the body.In addition, studies show that the numerous flavonoid compounds in cinnamon have anti-inflammatory properties.How Much Cinnamon per Day for Arthritis Pain?Researchers have found that cinnamon supplementation can be a potential treatment to improve clinical symptoms in people with rheumatoid arthritis and inflammation.However, before beginning to take cinnamon for your symptoms, speak to a healthcare professional.HoneyHoney is a natural product that has been used since ancient times for its nutritional and medicinal purposes. Honey has also been described as an alternative treatment for clinical conditions.The main antioxidant properties in honey are flavonoids and polyphenols. These two properties have compounds that exert anti-inflammatory effects in honey.A study found that honey does have an anti-inflammatory effect and can be used to treat chronic and acute inflammation.Along with honey, apple cider vinegar is another popular item for multi-purpose use including treating some health ailments. Taken orally and used topically, there is not enough research to show that apple cider vinegar can help with arthritis.Honey: Nutrition FactsOne cup ofraw honey, according to the USDA, has potassium, protein, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.Risks and Side EffectsAlthoughcinnamonand honey are both known to help with arthritis there are some risks. Honey can cause weight gain due to the calories and sugar. It is also known to cause a blood sugar spike.Cassia cinnamon (most common in American markets, compared to Ceylon cinnamon which is found internationally) contains coumarin and can cause both liver and kidney damage when consumed in large quantities.PreparationThere are many ways to incorporate honey and cinnamon into your diet and lifestyle. Adding it to oatmeal, teas, or smoothies are a great option. Cinnamon and honey are also great additions to recipes for lunch, dinner, and snacks.A Word From VerywellHoney and cinnamon are used for many purposes. Whether it is added in a tea or in a recipe, these are some known staples in households. There is also research regarding their medicinal purposes and benefits. If you are thinking about trying additional treatments to help arthritis, whether natural remedies, medication, or ointments, it is important to follow guidelines and suggestions from a healthcare professional. They can help you make the right decision.
Honey andcinnamonare typically known as sweet additions to recipes and warm beverages, but they may offer more than just great taste. Because honey and cinnamon have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, they may also be able to help people with arthritis.
ALEAIMAGE/Getty Images

Benefits for Arthritis Patients
Throughout history and still today, cinnamon has been considered a remedy for many ailments. It is used to relieve high blood pressure, toothache, arthritis, and more. Honey has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries and is known to have a number of amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. Research also shows that honey may have some anti-inflammatory properties.
Honey and cinnamon are also used in Ayurvedic practices for items such as weight loss and indigestion.Ayurveda, which means “knowledge of life," believes in aligning balance within the mind, body, and spirit. It also follows the principle that disease is based on an imbalance in the body, stress, or the consciousness of the individual.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice that is sweet and has a lot of ingredients that are known to help your overall health. This spice has many nutrients such as fiber, calcium, iron,magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and more. With its antioxidant properties—such as cinnamaldehyde and cinematic acid—it is known to inhibit cell damage in the body.
What Is Cinnamon?Cinnamon is found from the bark of cinnamon trees. There are many types of cinnamon that come from different parts of the world. The roots, fruits, flowers, and leaves of cinnamon trees have been used for spices, cooking, and medicinal purposes. Some of its nutrients include calcium, protein, iron, vitamin D, and potassium.
What Is Cinnamon?
Cinnamon is found from the bark of cinnamon trees. There are many types of cinnamon that come from different parts of the world. The roots, fruits, flowers, and leaves of cinnamon trees have been used for spices, cooking, and medicinal purposes. Some of its nutrients include calcium, protein, iron, vitamin D, and potassium.

Cinnamon is also known to help patients with arthritis due to its heavy antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Research has found that cinnamon has the highest antioxidant activity among 26 spices. Some of the antioxidant properties in cinnamon bark include:
In addition, studies show that the numerous flavonoid compounds in cinnamon have anti-inflammatory properties.
How Much Cinnamon per Day for Arthritis Pain?Researchers have found that cinnamon supplementation can be a potential treatment to improve clinical symptoms in people with rheumatoid arthritis and inflammation.However, before beginning to take cinnamon for your symptoms, speak to a healthcare professional.
How Much Cinnamon per Day for Arthritis Pain?
Researchers have found that cinnamon supplementation can be a potential treatment to improve clinical symptoms in people with rheumatoid arthritis and inflammation.However, before beginning to take cinnamon for your symptoms, speak to a healthcare professional.
Honey
Honey is a natural product that has been used since ancient times for its nutritional and medicinal purposes. Honey has also been described as an alternative treatment for clinical conditions.

The main antioxidant properties in honey are flavonoids and polyphenols. These two properties have compounds that exert anti-inflammatory effects in honey.A study found that honey does have an anti-inflammatory effect and can be used to treat chronic and acute inflammation.
Along with honey, apple cider vinegar is another popular item for multi-purpose use including treating some health ailments. Taken orally and used topically, there is not enough research to show that apple cider vinegar can help with arthritis.
Honey: Nutrition FactsOne cup ofraw honey, according to the USDA, has potassium, protein, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.
Honey: Nutrition Facts
One cup ofraw honey, according to the USDA, has potassium, protein, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.
Althoughcinnamonand honey are both known to help with arthritis there are some risks. Honey can cause weight gain due to the calories and sugar. It is also known to cause a blood sugar spike.Cassia cinnamon (most common in American markets, compared to Ceylon cinnamon which is found internationally) contains coumarin and can cause both liver and kidney damage when consumed in large quantities.
There are many ways to incorporate honey and cinnamon into your diet and lifestyle. Adding it to oatmeal, teas, or smoothies are a great option. Cinnamon and honey are also great additions to recipes for lunch, dinner, and snacks.
A Word From Verywell
Honey and cinnamon are used for many purposes. Whether it is added in a tea or in a recipe, these are some known staples in households. There is also research regarding their medicinal purposes and benefits. If you are thinking about trying additional treatments to help arthritis, whether natural remedies, medication, or ointments, it is important to follow guidelines and suggestions from a healthcare professional. They can help you make the right decision.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Singletary K.Cinnamon: update of potential health benefits.Nutrition Today. 2019;54(1):42-52. doi:10.1097/NT.0000000000000319Eteraf-Oskouei T, Najafi M.Traditional and modern uses of natural honey in human diseases: a review.Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2013;16(6):731-742.John Hopkins Medicine.Ayurveda.Arthritis FoundationBest spices for arthritis.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Cinnamon.Rue EA, Rush MD, van Breemen RB.Procyanidins: a comprehensive review encompassing structure elucidation via mass spectrometry.Phytochem Rev. 2018;17(1):1-16. doi:10.1007/s11101-017-9507-3Clair Adcocks, Peter Collin, David J. Buttle,Catechins from green tea (Camellia sinensis) inhibit bovine and human cartilage proteoglycan and type II collagen degradation in vitro.The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 132, Issue 3, March 2002, Pages 341. doi:10.1093/jn/132.3.341Rao PV, Gan SH.Cinnamon: a multifaceted medicinal plant.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:642942. doi:10.1155/2014/642942Farideh Shishehbor, Mahnaz Rezaeyan Safar, Elham Rajaei & Mohammad Hosein Haghighizadeh.Cinnamon consumption improves clinical symptoms and inflammatory markers in women with rheumatoid arthritis.Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2018; 37:8, 685 690. doi:10.1080/07315724.2018.1460733Samarghandian S, Farkhondeh T, Samini F.Honey and health: A review of recent clinical research.Pharmacognosy Res. 2017;9(2):121-127. doi:10.4103/0974-8490.204647Erejuwa OO, Sulaiman SA, Ab Wahab MS.Honey: a novel antioxidant.Molecules. 2012;17(4):4400-4423. doi:10.3390/molecules17044400Arthritis Foundation.10 arthritis food myths.Aller EE, Abete I, Astrup A, Martinez JA, van Baak MA.Starches, sugars and obesity.Nutrients. 2011;3(3):341-369. doi:10.3390/nu3030341National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 323.Coumarin.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Singletary K.Cinnamon: update of potential health benefits.Nutrition Today. 2019;54(1):42-52. doi:10.1097/NT.0000000000000319Eteraf-Oskouei T, Najafi M.Traditional and modern uses of natural honey in human diseases: a review.Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2013;16(6):731-742.John Hopkins Medicine.Ayurveda.Arthritis FoundationBest spices for arthritis.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Cinnamon.Rue EA, Rush MD, van Breemen RB.Procyanidins: a comprehensive review encompassing structure elucidation via mass spectrometry.Phytochem Rev. 2018;17(1):1-16. doi:10.1007/s11101-017-9507-3Clair Adcocks, Peter Collin, David J. Buttle,Catechins from green tea (Camellia sinensis) inhibit bovine and human cartilage proteoglycan and type II collagen degradation in vitro.The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 132, Issue 3, March 2002, Pages 341. doi:10.1093/jn/132.3.341Rao PV, Gan SH.Cinnamon: a multifaceted medicinal plant.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:642942. doi:10.1155/2014/642942Farideh Shishehbor, Mahnaz Rezaeyan Safar, Elham Rajaei & Mohammad Hosein Haghighizadeh.Cinnamon consumption improves clinical symptoms and inflammatory markers in women with rheumatoid arthritis.Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2018; 37:8, 685 690. doi:10.1080/07315724.2018.1460733Samarghandian S, Farkhondeh T, Samini F.Honey and health: A review of recent clinical research.Pharmacognosy Res. 2017;9(2):121-127. doi:10.4103/0974-8490.204647Erejuwa OO, Sulaiman SA, Ab Wahab MS.Honey: a novel antioxidant.Molecules. 2012;17(4):4400-4423. doi:10.3390/molecules17044400Arthritis Foundation.10 arthritis food myths.Aller EE, Abete I, Astrup A, Martinez JA, van Baak MA.Starches, sugars and obesity.Nutrients. 2011;3(3):341-369. doi:10.3390/nu3030341National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 323.Coumarin.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Singletary K.Cinnamon: update of potential health benefits.Nutrition Today. 2019;54(1):42-52. doi:10.1097/NT.0000000000000319Eteraf-Oskouei T, Najafi M.Traditional and modern uses of natural honey in human diseases: a review.Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2013;16(6):731-742.John Hopkins Medicine.Ayurveda.Arthritis FoundationBest spices for arthritis.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Cinnamon.Rue EA, Rush MD, van Breemen RB.Procyanidins: a comprehensive review encompassing structure elucidation via mass spectrometry.Phytochem Rev. 2018;17(1):1-16. doi:10.1007/s11101-017-9507-3Clair Adcocks, Peter Collin, David J. Buttle,Catechins from green tea (Camellia sinensis) inhibit bovine and human cartilage proteoglycan and type II collagen degradation in vitro.The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 132, Issue 3, March 2002, Pages 341. doi:10.1093/jn/132.3.341Rao PV, Gan SH.Cinnamon: a multifaceted medicinal plant.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:642942. doi:10.1155/2014/642942Farideh Shishehbor, Mahnaz Rezaeyan Safar, Elham Rajaei & Mohammad Hosein Haghighizadeh.Cinnamon consumption improves clinical symptoms and inflammatory markers in women with rheumatoid arthritis.Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2018; 37:8, 685 690. doi:10.1080/07315724.2018.1460733Samarghandian S, Farkhondeh T, Samini F.Honey and health: A review of recent clinical research.Pharmacognosy Res. 2017;9(2):121-127. doi:10.4103/0974-8490.204647Erejuwa OO, Sulaiman SA, Ab Wahab MS.Honey: a novel antioxidant.Molecules. 2012;17(4):4400-4423. doi:10.3390/molecules17044400Arthritis Foundation.10 arthritis food myths.Aller EE, Abete I, Astrup A, Martinez JA, van Baak MA.Starches, sugars and obesity.Nutrients. 2011;3(3):341-369. doi:10.3390/nu3030341National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 323.Coumarin.
Singletary K.Cinnamon: update of potential health benefits.Nutrition Today. 2019;54(1):42-52. doi:10.1097/NT.0000000000000319
Eteraf-Oskouei T, Najafi M.Traditional and modern uses of natural honey in human diseases: a review.Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2013;16(6):731-742.
John Hopkins Medicine.Ayurveda.
Arthritis FoundationBest spices for arthritis.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Cinnamon.
Rue EA, Rush MD, van Breemen RB.Procyanidins: a comprehensive review encompassing structure elucidation via mass spectrometry.Phytochem Rev. 2018;17(1):1-16. doi:10.1007/s11101-017-9507-3
Clair Adcocks, Peter Collin, David J. Buttle,Catechins from green tea (Camellia sinensis) inhibit bovine and human cartilage proteoglycan and type II collagen degradation in vitro.The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 132, Issue 3, March 2002, Pages 341. doi:10.1093/jn/132.3.341
Rao PV, Gan SH.Cinnamon: a multifaceted medicinal plant.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:642942. doi:10.1155/2014/642942
Farideh Shishehbor, Mahnaz Rezaeyan Safar, Elham Rajaei & Mohammad Hosein Haghighizadeh.Cinnamon consumption improves clinical symptoms and inflammatory markers in women with rheumatoid arthritis.Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2018; 37:8, 685 690. doi:10.1080/07315724.2018.1460733
Samarghandian S, Farkhondeh T, Samini F.Honey and health: A review of recent clinical research.Pharmacognosy Res. 2017;9(2):121-127. doi:10.4103/0974-8490.204647
Erejuwa OO, Sulaiman SA, Ab Wahab MS.Honey: a novel antioxidant.Molecules. 2012;17(4):4400-4423. doi:10.3390/molecules17044400
Arthritis Foundation.10 arthritis food myths.
Aller EE, Abete I, Astrup A, Martinez JA, van Baak MA.Starches, sugars and obesity.Nutrients. 2011;3(3):341-369. doi:10.3390/nu3030341
National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 323.Coumarin.
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