I am a 57-year-old female. My height and weight are proportionate, and I am healthy overall. When I get fatigued, or just very tired at the end of the day, I am often bothered by RLS. It is annoying to say the least. Generally, I take an aspirin or two, which helps calm things down, but I already have thin blood and don’t like to take more than is necessary.

One night, I had both a hacking cough and RLS symptoms. I got out of bed and took a spoonful of honey to coat my throat. Minutes after I went back to bed, the RLS symptoms settled down. Just a fluke, I thought. Well, I have learned over time that taking a spoonful of honey has indeed helped the situation. I don’t need it every night, but when I do, it is nice to know that there is something in the house apart from medicine to help me. Oh, and the honey helped to quell my cough, too.

DEAR READER: Restless-legs syndrome is an annoying but harmless condition that causes the sufferer to experience odd sensations in the legs such as tingling, aching, burning, crawling, itching, pain and much more when sitting or lying down. It typically causes an urge to get up and move. In severe cases, these abnormal sensations may be experienced in the upper extremities as well.

Symptoms generally begin during extended periods of inactivity. They may worsen in the evening and throughout the night, causing the legs to twitch — a condition known as periodic limb movements of sleep. These sensations often cause sufferers to have trouble falling or staying asleep. Relief is often found by getting out of bed and moving around.

There is no one cause of RLS, and in many instances, no cause can be found. The current thought is that it may be the result of an imbalance of dopamine, the brain chemical that helps control muscle movement. There is a known hereditary link in approximately 50 percent of all cases. Pregnancy can cause temporary RLS symptoms, but most women experience relief shortly after delivery. Peripheral neuropathy, kidney failure and iron deficiency may also cause or worsen symptoms.

Now, before I am berated by my readers, I will mention sleep apnea. However, the various related departments of the National Institutes of Health, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Mayo Clinic do not list sleep apnea as a cause of RLS. In fact, I cannot find any scientific studies that show the two conditions are related. However, this does not mean they aren’t. Perhaps researchers need to study this possible connection.

Honey as a remedy to RLS is new to me. Hawthorn berries, magnesium and calcium, soap under the sheets, pickle juice, electrolyte sports drinks and other remedies have helped some of my readers who suffer from RLS. Unfortunately, RLS is often difficult to treat, with few prescription options being available and home remedies being extremely beneficial for one and not at all for another. On occasion, I get a letter from a sufferer who is helped intermittently by one or more home remedies.

So, readers, here is another one to try. This option is admittedly better tasting than pickle juice, but does it work? Try it, and let me know your results. I will print a follow-up article once I receive enough results.

DEAR READER:
I, too, have heard about the wonders of honey relieving symptoms or even curing hemorrhoids. A while back, I even asked my readers to write me about their experiences but I have not received anything as of yet.

As far as amount and frequency, I am unsure but would guess that the amount would be fairly minimal since it can be quite messy. Because it is safe, it can be used as often as necessary. Being used topically, it will not affect blood sugar levels.

I will request again that any of my readers with experience using honey for hemorrhoids write me their experiences.

According to information I found on the internet, cinnamon and honey is a cure for diseases of all kinds. I have included two of the paragraphs from the fact sheet.

“It is found that a mixture of honey and cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a ‘ram ban’ (very effective) medicine for all kinds of disease. Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of disease. 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. Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada, on its issue dated Jan. 17, 1995 has given a large list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists.”

“Cholesterol: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of cinnamon powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient were found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10% within two hours. If taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information in the said journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol. By the way, if you are taking cholesterol medicine, STOP! They all contain STATIN which weakens your muscles, including your heart and none has been shown to stop heart attacks or strokes!”

DEAR READER:
After some extensive research and confusion, I am able to answer your question. If you are a regular reader of my column, you may remember a couple of questions I answered about bottled water (frozen or left in a car) and plastic in the microwave. You may also remember that these were email or internet based, and were primarily over-exaggerated lies and half-truths; essentially, hoaxes. The article you have quoted is another one of these instances.

While researching the basis of this article I came across a few websites and articles that were nearly all identical. One of these websites even had an author who appears to have taken bits and pieces of the original and claimed it as her own. Shortly after finding that article, I discovered what appears to be the original online version on www.Snopes.com that started circulation sometime in 1995 which explains the date in the excerpt. It appears to have found a revival on several websites, forums and in spam emails.

This email and the original article that appeared in the Weekly World News (U.S. supermarket tabloid, similar to the National Enquirer, and includes headlines such as “Hilary Clinton Adopted Alien Baby” and “Fountain Of Vermouth Discovered”) claim that cinnamon and honey is a “ram ban” cure (a term I never heard in medical school) for everything from the common cold to cancer.

Like the water bottles and plastic in the microwave, there are some truths to the article but the vast majority contains unsupported claims. Both cinnamon and honey have some medical value. Cinnamon may help control diabetes and honey is good for healing wounds and soothing coughs. But claims that the two combined will cure cancer in one month, acne in two weeks and other disorders as well, is simply nonsense.

Now the claim that all cholesterol medicines contain statin is also false. Statin itself is not an ingredient, but rather a class of medications used to lower cholesterol levels. Many cholesterol medications are indeed statins and muscle weakness is a side effect, but certain brands, such as Lipitor, have proven to lower heart attack and stroke risk. I am also curious to know what complaints of cholesterol are. High cholesterol is a silent disease, causes no symptoms but can lead to plaque and artery build-up which can result in stroke and heart attack. A doctor would not be able to diagnose the condition without laboratory testing.

With all that being said, since you appear to be healthy, take no medications and are physically active, if you choose to drink a glass of tea (eight ounces) with honey and cinnamon once or twice a day, it will not harm you. It is simply a tasty drink. And remember, just because you read it online, doesn’t mean it’s true. Be sure to research the source of the claims and look for reliable websites from places such as Mayo Clinic or the National Institutes of Health for confirmation. Also, tell your doctor about all alternative remedies you are taking, regardless of how safe they may seem.