Although in Europe and the U.S. cinnamon is most often associated with sweet dishes, it has broad culinary uses. For example, in India, cinnamon is never used with desserts, but is the main ingredient in curries.

Cinnamon is the bark of three bushy evergreen trees of the laurel (Lauraceae) family. The most fragrant and delicate cinnamon is obtained from the Cinnamomum zeylanicum tree native to Sri Lanka (which used to be called ‘Ceylon’), the western coast of India (known as the Malabar coast), and Burma. Zeylanicum cinnamon is sometimes called ‘true cinnamon’ and ‘old fashioned cinnamon.’ But the ‘true’ part was just advertising copy for the Dutch East India Company’s 17th century monopoly.

The 1997 Commission E on Phytotherapy and Herbal Substances of the German Federal Institute for Drugs recommends Cinnamon ‘For loss of appetite, dyspeptic complaints such as mild, spastic condition of the gastrointestinal tract, bloating, flatulence.’ It is chiefly used to assist and flavor other drugs, being helpful in diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and to relieve flatulence. The oil is a powerful germicide, but being very irritant is rarely used in medicine for this purpose. It is a strong local stimulant, sometimes prescribed in gastro-dynia, flatulent colic, and gastric debility.

It is found that a mixture of Honey and Cinnamon cures most of the diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Ayurvedic as well as Yunani medicine have been using honey as a vital medicine for centuries. Scientists of today also accept honey as a very effective medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases. Today’s science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients.

Honey and cinnamon mixtures are researched to be effective in a myriad of therapeutic conditions. These are enumerated below:

HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, chapati, or other bread, instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also those who already had an attack, if they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack.

Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heartbeat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as age the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalizes the arteries and veins.

INSECT BITES: Take one part honey to two parts of lukewarm water and add a small teaspoon of cinnamon powder, make a paste and massage it on the itching part of the body slowly. It is noticed that the pain recedes within a minute or two.

ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients may take daily, morning and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured.

In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week out of the 200 people so treated practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.

HAIR LOSS: Those suffering from hair loss or baldness, may apply a paste of hot olive oil, one tablespoon of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder before bath and keep it for approx. 15 min. and then wash the hair. It was found to be effective even if kept on for 5 minutes.

BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.

TOOTHACHE: Make a paste of one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and five teaspoons of honey and apply on the aching tooth. This may be applied 3 times a day till the tooth stops aching.

CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder
mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to
reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10% within 2 hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken 3 times a day, any Chronic cholesterol is cured. As per information received in the said journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for 3 days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold and clear the sinuses.

INFERTILITY: Yunani and Ayurvedic Medicine have been using honey for thousands of years to strengthen the semen of men. If impotent men regularly take two tablespoon of honey before going to sleep, their problem will be solved.

In China, Japan and Far-East countries, women, who do not conceive and need to strengthen the uterus, have been taking cinnamon powder for centuries. Women who cannot conceive may take a pinch of cinnamon powder in half teaspoon of honey and apply it on the gums frequently throughout the day, so that it slowly mixes with the saliva and enters the body.

A couple in Maryland, USA, had no children for 14 years and had lost hope of having a child of their own. When told about this process, husband and wife started taking honey and cinnamon as stated above; the wife conceived after a few months and had twins at full term.

UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomachache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root.

GAS: According to the studies done in India & Japan, it is revealed that if honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food, relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ingredient, which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly arrests the ravages of old age. Take 4 spoons of honey, 1 spoon of cinnamon powder and 3 cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, 3 to 4 times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age.

Life spans also increases and even a 100 year old, starts performing the chores of a 20-year-old.

PIMPLES: Three tablespoons of Honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS: Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

CANCER: Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month 3 times a day.

FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon power in equal parts, are more alert and flexible.

Dr. Milton who has done research says that a half tablespoon honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3.00 p.m. when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week.

BAD BREATH: People of South America, first thing in the morning gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water. So their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder taken in equal parts restore hearing.

Tags: ayurvedic, skin disorders, dietary supplement, herbal, therapeutic

My family is thumps up to butter milk and thumps down to curd alias yogurt.

I have always seen my mother sitting on the floor, churning out the butter and bottling some home-made butter milk. The butter would eventually go into ghee-making while the butter milk would go into a side dish or as Sambharam (a South Indian variant of North Indian Lassi) or I would gulp down a glass of it all by myself after my meals. I lost that lovely, healthy habit long ago once I got married and was busied into home making. Also, my husband hates yogurt unless it is embellished with some veggies as in a salad!

Some of the specialties in South India include the very tasty Dahi Wada and Thairusadam (Curd Rice). Both make extensive use of curd. Once I came to the USA, to my utmost amusement I came across flavored, sweetened yogurt with fruits. Well, to me it is a thick American version of sweet Lassi. I would see people carrying a cup of yogurt (perhaps as a quick breakfast or a snack) as they traveled to work in the train. What more to say, I get to see even ice cream with flavored yogurt in some supermarkets. It was then that writing a post on yogurt occurred to me.

Yogurt is a healthy choice to be taken daily as it contains protein, calcium, riboflavin, iodine and vitamin B 12. Yogurt is endorsed as a daily diet with at least one serving per day as it contains a lot more of calcium than milk and calcium plays a major role in bone building. Yogurt also contains phosphorus in good amounts which would help people with Osteoporosis. It also enhances immunity and increases your body’s natural defense. The active cultures in yogurt prevents the accumulation of harmful bacteria in the body. The bacteria in yogurt also help in the digestion of food.

Studies show that yogurt can ward off cold, prevent diarrhea, promote intestinal and vaginal health, provide relief from arthritis, prevent ulcers and also improve lactose intolerance. It fights yeast infections and balances the body’s yeast levels while also preventing urinary tract infections.

Yogurt works well for those who are intolerant to lactose or milk. If you cannot take milk because of reasons like acidity or IBS you may very well try yogurt so that you keep getting your bone builder, calcium.

Yogurt may also have some other health benefits like helping weight loss, lower blood pressure and lower the risk of some types of cancer. Skim yogurt or low fat yogurt are ideal for people with