Does mixing cinnamon and honey "cure arthritis, cancer, gallbladder, cholesterol, and 10 other diseases"? No, that's not true: A spokesperson from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told Lead Stories that this claim is "not authorized or approved." While cinnamon and honey as individual items aid in treating some medical issues, there is no evidence to suggest that a mixture of the two creates a makeshift "cure-all" elixir.
Also, this claim was initially found in an article that was subjected to "article-spinning," and the publication attached to this post issued a disclaimer stating that the information is "not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment."
The claim appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) on February 22, 2022. It reads:
Doctors Have No Explanation: Mix Cinnamon And Honey And Cure Arthritis, Cancer, Gallbladder, Cholesterol And 10 Other Diseases 👇
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Tue Mar 1 16:41:33 2022 UTC)
In the comment section, the author of this post included a link to this February 21, 2022, article titled, "Docs Have No Rationalization: Combine Cinnamon And Honey And Treatment Arthritis, Most cancers, Gallbladder, Ldl cholesterol And 10 Different Illnesses." The credibility of this website's platform is questionable as there is no verifiable information available about its origin or the author and the headline is grammatically flawed.
At the bottom of the article, there is a disclaimer that reads:
THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this website is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
Right above the disclaimer, the author of this article cited this similarly labeled February 19, 2022, article as the source of this information, titled, "Doctors Have No Explanation: Mix Cinnamon And Honey And Cure Arthritis, Cancer, Gallbladder, Cholesterol And 10 Other Diseases." This article also provides no scientific substation of the information presented.
The contrast of the headlines in these articles suggests that they have been subjected to what Lead Stories has previously defined as "article spinning"-- the automated replacement of words in a text with synonyms to avoid plagiarism filters.
Lead Stories reached out to the FDA to ask about this claim. The agency responded by email on March 3, 2022, saying:
The FDA has not authorized or approved the claim that 'mixing cinnamon and honey can cure arthritis, cancer, gallbladder, cholesterol and 10 other diseases.'
In accordance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, labels must adhere to the full context of the particular food they describe, and foods cannot establish a relationship between a substance or disease-related condition unless it is approved under the guide of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
Used by itself, studies do suggest that honey can provide relief for: wound care, catheter-associated UTIs, gut health, coughing, skin issues and upper respiratory conditions.
Studies suggest that cinnamon can aid in: lowering blood pressure, lowering blood sugar, lowering inflammation to improve heart health and reducing cholesterol. However, studies also cite that ingesting too much cinnamon can cause liver damage.
There is insufficient scientific substantiation that the mixture of honey and cinnamon can cure an illness as serious as cancer.
