Comments on: Phony Chronic Pain Advice–The Reason You Should Research Everything You Read Before You Act On It

By: Bonnie Boots

Bonnie Boots — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:59:53 +0000

Cinnamon is certainly a great flavoring agent, but I’ve yet to find any credible studies of “miracle” health benefits from eating it. (Please note from the comments below that the item sold in most grocery stores as “cinnamon” is not true cinnamon.) We all wish that treating arthritis was as simple as taking a spoonful of honey and cinnamon. That’s undoubtedly why this bogus report continues to circulate. People with chronic pain are so eager for relief, we’ll swallow almost anything! That’s all the more reason we have to be so careful to check out all advise, even advise from health care professionals, before we believe it.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:40:03 +0000

I've had arthritis most of my life and I too got a little excited about seeing the "research" regarding cinnamon and honey. I have access to a university library and online checked the Copenhagen University research articles about cinnamon and honey… zero. I checked out all the ones regarding arthritis, and didn't see any mention of honey and cinnamon. They really don't seem to be the type of research studies that stray away from conventional medicine. It's sad that so many sources and so-called authorities have reported on this bogus information. I'll still have my cinnamon anyway, just not mixed with honey before breakfast.

By: Bonnie Boots

Bonnie Boots — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:40:45 +0000

Thanks, Suzanne, for that information. Honey and cinnamon have been used for their healing properties for centuries. I think that’s what makes it so tempting to believe that false info about cinnamon and honey in combination stopping the pain of arthritis.And as Elspeth pointed out, what’s sold as “cinnamon” in grocery stores is actually cassia, so people wanting to use cinnamon for health purposes need to be sure they are purchasing actual cinnamon. I can recommend Penzey’s spice stores for fresh, high-quality Ceylon cinnamon. Visit them online at http://penzeys.com

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:34:10 +0000

I was able to find good links on why honey is good http://bio.waikato.ac.nz/pdfs/honeyresearch/bioactives.pdf and why cinnamon is good http://www.zhion.com/herb/Cinnamon.html but nothing on the two together.

By: Bonnie Boots

Bonnie Boots — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:43:42 +0000

How good of you, Jenny, to be seeking out the facts for your mother. Yes, research is vitally important. It’s important, too, to watch out for our friends and relatives that can’t or won’t do it for themselves. The great gift of the internet is that, with time and effort, you can eventually track down the facts on anything, but the vast majority of people are not very savvy at searching the web. That means those of us that are need to be very generous in offering our help.

By: Jen

Jen — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:04:17 +0000

Hi Bonnie
Glad I stumbled across your article this morning. I got a little excited about the honey/cinnamon theory for arthritis as my mum has been a chronic rheumatoid arthritis sufferer for years and I thought perhaps this might help her – alas it was too good to be true. Also interesting to note there is the two types of cinnamon. Just goes to show it pays to research.
thx
Jen

By: Bonnie Boots

Bonnie Boots — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:09:15 +0000

Thank you for pointing out the difference between Ceylon cinnamon and the spice sold in most grocery stores. This is a perfect example of why it’s so important to check carefully–preferably with a trusted health care expert–before using any substance for healing. Most people would not imagine that something as ordinary as “cinnamon” could pose a health risk, and wouldn’t think to tell their doctor they’re using it. I recently learned that a friend in her 80’s had stopped taking her prescribed medication and begun taking large amounts of “cinnamon,” (actually cassia, as elsbennet points out) because a neighbor had shown her the exact article I complained about in this post. “It’s just cinnamon,” she told me. “It can’t hurt to try.” I had a hard time convincing her it COULD “hurt to try,” because she’s also a believer in “They couldn’t print it if it wasn’t true.”

By: Elspeth

Elspeth — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:52:57 +0000

Good article and great advice about the need to check thoroughly into spurious claims on the internet. I'd like to point out, however, that true cinnamon (also known as Ceylon cinnamon) contains only a neglible amount of the blood-thinning phytochemical coumarin. The "cinnamon" most readily available in U.S. stores is actually cassia, which does indeed have high concentrations of coumarin. Cassia in large doses can damage the liver and kidneys, in addition to thinning the blood. Unfortunately, since cassia is labeled as "cinnamon" most people would not know the difference.

By: Bonnie Boots

Bonnie Boots — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:50:51 +0000

Yes, and because people crave easy answers, there are always scam artists, hucksters and pranksters willing to give easy answers. We always have to remember the internet is a double-edged sword. On the one side, it brings a world of solid information we couldn’t find any other way. On the other side, it brings a lot of misinformation and outright lies, often from seemingly reputable sources. It can take a lot of research to tell one from the other.

By: Lynnette

Lynnette — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:10:07 +0000

Thank you for this article, I was trying to find info on how antioxidant levels compare between Ceylon cinnamon and cassia, and found a reference to the Copenhagen study. Trying to find backup, I found your article instead and couldn't agree more. It is a bummer to have to be so skeptical (not to mention how much time it takes to fact-check,) but it does seem that some people will say anything, and that many others are way too willing to repeat anything. It seems life has become so complicated, and people crave easy answers. The truth is better.