All through the internet and media, there is a huge hype about the magic new weight loss cure, "honey and cinnamon for weight loss". But, does it really work? Or is it just another fad? Being a nutrition and diet consultant for many years now, I decided to get to the bottom of this! What I found may surprise you.
First of all, lets look at what is suggested. The recipe is simple. You have to combine one tea-spoon of honey to one tea spoon of cinnamon and boil it in one cup of water. It is suggested that you consume half of this cup, half an hour before breakfast. And you consume half of this cup, half an hour before going to sleep at night. That's it!
The claims are, that by just doing this much, and not making ANY other changes in your routine and your diet, you can expect to lose 3 to 5 pounds within a week. It is said that the honey and cinnamon, actually prevent your body from storing fat!
Unfortunately, the practitioners of this "honey and cinnamon for weight loss" idea, do not offer any clear scientific explanation for why this should work.
Here is the scientific analysis...
Cinnamon: Actually, cinnamon does have weight loss benefits. It has already been proved in scientific studies that cinnamon helps to reduce bad cholesterol & blood sugar. A reduction in blood sugar helps in increasing insulin levels and which in turn prevents the body from storing fats. So, we know that cinnamon defiantly helps to lose weight.
Honey: There is no doubt that honey is good for health. In fact, people who have tried this "honey and cinnamon" idea, do report that they feel more energetic. This fits in perfectly with the fact that honey is a "simple sugar" that is very easy for the body to process and release energy. But, honey has the opposite effect that cinnamon has. It increases the blood sugar levels.
So, its not very clear from the scientific point of view, how this "honey and cinnamon for weight loss" idea could really work. But, there are still people out there that claim it has helped them. Unless a proper scientific study is done on the subject, making any conclusions would be pointless. So, if you want to try it, go ahead! If it does not help, it surely will not hurt! But, there are better and faster ways to lose weight out there.
