All kinds of things can cause inflammation, from chronic illnesses like arthritis to everyday annoyances like poison ivy. But there’s no reason to suffer when recipes like this one provide accessible, inexpensive home remedies that can treat inflammation as effectively as over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen.
This syrup is made with raw honey, which gives it a sweet taste, but also contains a few ingredients with known anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties. Take it for sore throats, joint pain, even everyday inflammations like mild allergic reactions. (For severe allergic reactions, you’ll have to see a doctor instead!)
Next time you accidentally run through a patch of poison ivy, pair the consumption of this syrup with the application of wet clay to the inflamed area for some instant relief.
Anti-Inflammatory Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp raw organic honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric powder
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
Mix the ingredients together in a small glass bowl until they form a smooth syrup. If you’re preparing this for young children, leave out the cayenne – it could make the syrup too spicy for them to handle.
How It Works
Cinnamon contains anti-inflammatory agents that can be therapeutic in large enough doses, but not all cinnamon is created equal. Sri Lankan cinnamon specifically has been studied for its anti-inflammatory effects(1), and Ceylon cinnamon has been shown to have a regulatory effect on blood glucose levels(2), making it the perfect accompaniment to the sweet honey base of this syrup. If you want to replicate the effects of this study which looked at the ability of cinnamon to reduce muscle soreness and inflammation in women athletes, consider adding some fresh grated ginger to the syrup as well(3).
The anti-inflammatory properties of the root spice turmeric come from the ingredient curcumin, which is also a powerful antioxidant(4). Turmeric has been proven time and time again to be not only effective against inflammation – including chronic inflammation from conditions like rheumatoid arthritis – but safe to ingest in large quantities as well.
If you’re looking for something to relieve pain associated with inflammation but are wary of over-the-counter medications like aspirin – which has a 16% mortality rate with even accidental overdoses – use turmeric.

Cayenne pepper, a powerful spice derived from hot peppers, is hard to ingest in large quantities but contains a known anti-inflammatory agent known as capsaicin. Capsaicin inhibits inflammatory reactions both in rats and in humans – but its health benefits don’t end there; researchers have suggested that in addition to being useful in the treatment of inflammatory diseases, it may also be useful in the treatment of cancer(5,6).