When metabolic processes fail in the body, this inevitably leads to a jump in cholesterol levels in the blood.
Excess “bad” cholesterol begins to accumulate on the vascular walls, which, in turn, leads to blockage of blood vessels. This increased concentration of low-density lipids leads to the formation of cholesterol plaques. All this causes the development of heart attacks and atherosclerosis.
You can avoid unpleasant consequences with the help of special means that help normalize metabolism and cleanse blood vessels.
One of the effective recipes for cholesterol is a mixture of natural honey and cinnamon.
Effect on cholesterol levels
With the help of honey and cinnamon, cleansing the blood of excess cholesterol occurs quite quickly. This mixture seems to “bind” cholesterol and gently remove it from the vascular channels.
Over time, plaques that have already formed during this time begin to dissolve because they do not receive replenishment. The blood is cleansed and saturated with vitamins and minerals contained in the components of the mixture.
This quick effect of lowering cholesterol is due to the fact that spice and honey seem to enhance each other. The pollen extract contained in honey breaks down fats, and cinnamon speeds up this process. This helps not only with cardiovascular pathologies, but also with many other diseases.
Remember that preference should be given only to pure and natural ingredients, without preservatives, additives and other chemicals.
Expert commentary
Kardash Anton Borisovich
Therapist, cardiologist. Doctor of the highest category.
It is best to consult a doctor before starting the procedure. There is no convincing evidence that this “remedy” lowers cholesterol.
Beneficial properties of the mixture ingredients
The main source of cholesterol is animal fats. Substances contained in cinnamon and honey help the body break down complex lipids, as well as low-density cholesterol into derivative components (this process occurs in the liver), which helps cleanse blood vessels.
The combination of cinnamon and honey strengthens the heart, which has also been proven by scientists.
In addition, honey is one of the largest natural sources of trace minerals, and cinnamon, consisting mainly of essential oils and eugenol, is considered by many doctors to be the most beneficial of the spices in terms of preventing cardiovascular diseases.
Cinnamon
Most often, cinnamon is included in the diet when following diets aimed at losing weight, as it acts as a diuretic. And for the cardiovascular system it has the following benefits:
- Accelerates the removal of toxins and excess potassium in the body. Indirectly, this reduces low-density cholesterol (LDL) levels and also normalizes salt balance.
- Promotes weight loss. Often high cholesterol is a consequence of obesity and excess animal fats in the body.
- Strengthens the heart muscle. This is facilitated by a combination of essential oils, eugenol and tannins.
Doctors also claim that daily consumption of cinnamon significantly reduces the risk of heart attack, and also eliminates inflammation due to arthritis and helps cleanse the arteries.
For medicinal purposes, it is recommended to use Ceylon cinnamon - it has a higher concentration of eugenol and lower aldehyde. The latter component is quite toxic to the human body and indirectly acts as a sleeping pill.
Honey
Honey is known to strengthen the heart muscle. For the normal functioning of the sinus node (it regulates the frequency and order of contraction of the chambers of the heart), the heart muscle needs phosphorus, iron, potassium and magnesium. All these elements are contained in honey, which has a positive effect on the functioning of the entire cardiovascular system. Honey also helps:
- Normalization of the balance of microelements in the blood. This indirectly reduces the likelihood of thrombosis and atherosclerosis.
- Strengthening hemoglobin synthesis. It is worth noting that honey is one of the largest sources of iron. 100 grams of this product contains up to 0.4 milligrams of ferum (the daily norm is about 10 milligrams).
- Comprehensive normalization of metabolism, including at the cellular level. This prevents the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels, and also improves kidney function.
By the way, honey also contains a large amount of tocopherol (aka vitamin E), which prevents platelets from oxidizing (it is because of them that plaques actively increase in size).
Also check out the infographic:
How to take – 5 recipes
Oddly enough, cinnamon and honey can be prepared in different ways. Therefore, each patient can choose a prescription for himself.
Classic mixture for cleansing blood vessels
This recipe will help cleanse blood vessels of excess cholesterol; it is used more often than others. It is quite simple to prepare, but requires care and consistency:
- Pour one teaspoon of cinnamon into a glass of boiling water;
- Close the container and leave the liquid to stand for half an hour;
- After this, add a tablespoon of natural honey to the mixture and stir.
It is allowed to add raisins, lemon slices or cranberries to the drink. This will help strengthen the vitamin composition of the mixture.
The drink should be divided into two doses. One part should be taken in the morning immediately after waking up, and the second should be left in the refrigerator until the evening and drunk 30 minutes before going to bed.
The therapeutic course lasts 30 days. Do not increase the dosage on your own and maintain regular use to avoid adverse reactions.
Calming drink
This health drink is suitable for those who suffer from high blood pressure, nervous tension and symptoms of VSD:
- Heat 500 ml water;
- Add 1 tsp. cinnamon;
- After this, add a lemon wedge and a couple of mint leaves to the mixture;
- As soon as the drink has cooled, dissolve 1 tbsp in it. l. honey
You should also drink this tea in the mornings and evenings. If you don't like the taste of a cold drink, you can warm it slightly to room temperature.
Adding to green tea
You can combine the antioxidant power of green tea and the cleansing effect of a honey-cinnamon mixture in the following recipe:
- In 1 liter of green tea you need to dissolve 3 tsp. spices;
- Add 2 tbsp to the drink. l. natural honey.
This tea should be drunk three times a day. The therapeutic course is not limited.
Cinnamon-honey paste
The pasta is prepared like this:
- Take 200 g of quality honey;
- Add 1-2 tbsp to it. l. cinnamon and mix the ingredients well.
Eat 1 tsp twice a day. such a mass, washed down with a sufficient amount of purified water.
Lemon mixture
Lemon has also been proven to lower cholesterol.
Mixture preparation process:
- Take 5 lemons, peel them, add 30 g of garlic to them and grind everything in a meat grinder or blender;
- Add honey nectar (500 g) and cinnamon seasoning (1 tbsp) to the puree;
- Mix all components well until a homogeneous consistency is obtained and transfer to a glass jar;
- Seal the jar tightly with a lid and leave to stand for 7 days;
- After steeping, remove the container, strain the juice and store it at room temperature.
You need to take 15-20 g of this medicine daily. The therapeutic course lasts 60 days. After this, a break is taken for 3 months, and then the treatment is repeated.
Contraindications
Typically, a honey-cinnamon mixture is indicated for high cholesterol levels, problems with blood vessels and heart, sudden surges in blood pressure and VSD. Remember also that this remedy cannot be used during the acute period of certain diseases (including stroke and heart attack).
However, this medicine also has contraindications that should not be overlooked:
- Intolerance to components;
- The presence of malignant neoplasms;
- Dermatosis;
- High body temperature accompanied by severe headaches;
- Pregnancy;
- Breastfeeding period;
- Infectious pathologies;
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver;
- Nervous disorders;
- Stroke;
- Heart attack;
- Thrombosis;
- Hormonal disorders.
Moderation is good in everything. Excessive consumption of cinnamon can overload the nervous system, leading to serious complications. Do not neglect the calculated dosage of the medicine.
Remember that it is not enough to take certain medications; it is important to reconsider your diet and lifestyle. Eliminate all fatty, fried, spicy and salty foods from your diet, give up alcohol, and eliminate all preservatives and flavor enhancers. Don't forget about walks in the fresh air and light physical activity.
Is cholesterol really that dangerous?
The main purpose of cholesterol is the formation of intercellular membranes (membranes) in both humans and animals. About 75% of total cholesterol is synthesized from fats and amino acids, the remaining 25% enters the body with food from the outside.
However, it comes in two types - high and low density. The latter is precisely what is universally called “harmful”, since it practically does not participate in metabolism, is not broken down into lipids, but can accumulate on the inner walls of blood vessels.
What happens if you don’t get rid of accumulated cholesterol in a timely manner? The circulatory system will suffer the most from this. And if you allow the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, then there is a risk of thrombosis . A blood clot, blocking the normal blood flow of a supply vessel, can cause a heart attack, stroke, and even lead to death.
That is why it is necessary to get rid of bad cholesterol.
Doctors say that the norm for low-density cholesterol for an adult is less than 2.6 mmol/l. However, with age, its level gradually increases. For example, most elderly people have an average blood level of 3.3 to 5 mmol/l. That is why cardiovascular diseases are quite common among them.
What are the early signs of high blood cholesterol? Doctors highlight several key ones:
- angina pectoris;
- pain in the heart area (with minimal physical activity or at rest);
- pain in the legs, varicose veins (it is the circulatory system of the lower extremities that experiences the greatest load when there is excess cholesterol);
- frequent headaches;
- the appearance of noticeable xanthomas (very often on the face in the eyelid area);
- general weakness, increased fatigue (in the absence of obvious reasons for this).
At what age is it recommended to clean blood vessels from cholesterol? For prevention purposes – from 18 years of age. But, in fact, it is first advisable to take a general blood test, as well as to determine the cholesterol level. Its amount directly depends on a person’s diet, as well as physical activity.
Recommendations for admission
The preparation and use of cinnamon-honey medicines requires compliance with certain rules:
- The best time to take is before or after meals. The drug is best absorbed if taken before a meal (about 2 hours before) or after a meal (after 2 hours);
- Can be combined with other ingredients . The good thing about cinnamon and honey is that they can become even more effective when combined with herbal infusions, milk, fruits and berries;
- Different methods for hypertensive and hypotensive patients . For hypertensive patients, it is best to add the mixture to tea or drink it with water, while for hypotensive patients it is best to mix the mixture with coffee;
- Do not boil the medicine. Do not bring the mixture to a boil. During this process, all the medicinal properties of the products are lost. If you drink, for example, tea with honey and cinnamon, it is better to warm it to room temperature;
- The therapeutic course should last at least a month . This is the minimum treatment period. The body is a complex mechanism, so its restructuring occurs very slowly. If you treat treatment negligently, skip an appointment, or carry out therapy for less than 30 days, then there is a high probability that you will not get rid of the disease.
Compound
Coumarin in cinnamon helps reduce cholesterol levels
Cinnamon is the bark of the cinnamon tree and has been used for a long time. Mention of this useful remedy dates back to the third century BC. Then it was worth its weight in gold, only very rich people could afford such luxury - to purchase cinnamon!
This indicates the many beneficial properties of such a seasoning, which today is quite inexpensive. In addition, there are now cases of counterfeiting of this spice. For example, cinnamon extract is a modern patented cinnamon substitute. Or it may well be that some substances were mixed into the cinnamon purchased on the market, which, by the way, are not always useful.
It is much safer to purchase cinnamon in stick form rather than ground. This way you are more likely to get natural spice, without additives. It is best to buy cinnamon that has been produced in the countries where it grows.
There are several types of cinnamon:
- Ceylon,
- Malabar,
- Chinese,
- Cinnamon.
What is so beneficial in cinnamon? The composition of such a useful spice as cinnamon includes:
- alimentary fiber,
- cellulose,
- various tannins,
- polyphenol,
- minerals,
- coumarin,
- vitamin A, B2, B3, E, K,
- resin,
- starch,
- slime,
- essential oils.
The energy value of cinnamon is 24 kilocalories, it contains 0.12 grams of fat, 8 grams of carbohydrates and 0.4 grams of protein.