Cinnamon & Honey Detox Diet

It's sweet and spicy, and a delicious way to start and end the day. And, according to the LoveToKnow website, proponents of the honey and cinnamon detox diet claim it helps prevent the accumulation of fat. While the claims sound unreal, there is a little truth to the idea that cinnamon and honey can help in your weight loss efforts, but a balanced diet is still the most effective way to lose weight and keep it off. The diet may not be safe for everyone, so speak to your doctor first.

Cinnamon sticks beside small jar of honey. (Image: belchonock/iStock/Getty Images)

Diet Details

The detox drink contains only honey, powdered cinnamon and water, which you combine, boil and filter into a cup to drink -- consuming one-half cup of the mix 30 minutes before breakfast and another half-cup 30 minutes before bed. Some recipes recommend using raw honey to improve the nutritional content of your drink and specific types of cinnamon, which may include Ceylon cinnamon or Indonesian cinnamon.

The Claims

The diet's claim is that the drink aids your body in fighting the accumulation of fat and helps you lose 3 to 5 pounds in a week without making any other changes to your diet. The idea is that the antioxidant content of the honey helps the body work better, while cinnamon aids in blood sugar control to promote weight loss. However, LoveToKnow says the evidence to support the weight loss and detox claims are only anecdotal.

Weight Loss Link

Although the evidence is limited, honey and cinnamon may offer some assistance when it comes to weight loss. A 2012 review study published in "Diabetic Medicine" found that cinnamon may help promote weight loss, but it noted that the studies included in the review were only test tube and animal studies and human studies still were necessary to validate claims. A small study from 2008 looking at the effects of honey on cardiovascular risk factors in a group of overweight and obese people found that the honey helped promote a mild weight loss.

Detox Dispute

As a detox, the cinnamon and honey drink is much less useful. There is no evidence that any drink helps your body rid itself of toxic substances, notes KidsHealth. Your kidneys and liver, as long as they are not damaged by disease, help your body process and eliminate harmful substances naturally. Additionally, detox diets are not safe for anyone with a chronic illness such as diabetes or heart disease. If you want to improve your body's ability to detox itself, KidsHealth recommends a healthy diet that is low in fat and high in fiber.

Things to Consider

While you might think of honey and cinnamon as safe foods to eat, they are not OK for everyone. Children less than 1 year should not be given honey, raw or pasteurized, due to risk of infection with botulism. Cinnamon has both estrogenic, which means it's like estrogen, and antiestrogenic activity, so you should use it with caution if you are sensitive to hormones, suggests the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.