Golden Milk: Health Benefits and Recipe
There is gold buried in the ground of the
Indian Subcontinent, but this one doesn’t come in the form of rocky
nuggets, but a knobby, unassuming root: turmeric. The gold powder the
root yields has been in use for thousands of years in South Asia as a
dye, spice and also in traditional medicine.
Besides adding a wonderful aroma, color,
and flavor to curry stews, turmeric offers a host of health benefits
that make it a veritable superfood. But stews and rice dishes aren’t the
only way to ingest turmeric, and turmeric-based drinks are becoming
more and more popular among health-conscious people, and the hottest
thing right now is golden milk, a warm turmeric-based beverage that is
both delicious and good for you. But why exactly is ingesting turmeric
so beneficial, and in what ways?
Keep reading for a list of benefits of drinking turmeric milk, as well
as a recipe for homemade golden milk.
1. It contains a powerful antioxidant
A major component of turmeric that gives it
its distinctive golden color is the pigment curcumin, which is a
powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight cell damage due to
oxidative stress which results in aging, DNA mutations, and formation of
tumors.
2. It reduces inflammation
Curcumin is also a potent anti-inflammatory
agent, as is ginger which is another of our golden milk ingredients.
Chronic inflammation is believed to play a big part in several chronic
diseases, including arthritis, Alzheimer’s, inflammatory bowel syndrome,
cancer, and heart disease. Ingestion of golden milk could thus reduce
joint pain caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
3. It’s good for digestion
Turmeric stimulates bile production, which
aids in digestion, waste removal and the effective digestion and
absorption of fats. Beyond that, the anti-inflammatory properties of
curcumin may prevent the formation of ulcers in people suffering from
ulcerative colitis, one of the major types of inflammatory bowel
disease.
4. It’s also good for the noggin
Curcumin ingestion has been shown to
increase levels of a certain protein in our brain called brain-derived
neurotrophic factor (or BDNF for short) which fills an important
protective role in brain function. Conversely, reduced BDNF levels have
been associated with impaired cognitive function, memory loss,
depression, and schizophrenia.
5. It may have an active role in battling cancer
Take it with a grain of turmeric, as it
were, but curcumin may also have some anti-cancer properties. Beyond
battling oxidative stress and preempting tumor formation, curcumin has
been found to have a more active effect on existing cancer. Test-tube
studies have shown that the active ingredient in turmeric can actually
kill cancer cells. That being said, the evidence is as yet inconclusive
about whether the effect can be replicated in vivo.
How to prepare golden milk:
Ingredients for two servings:
• 1 cup milk (for a vegan option, use ½ cup coconut milk and ½ cup
almond milk, instead)
• 1 tsp turmeric
• A pinch of ginger powder
• A pinch of black pepper
• ¼ tsp cinnamon powder (or a single cinnamon stick)
• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
• For the vegan option, add ½ tbsp coconut oil
Instructions:
Add all of the ingredients in a saucepan, whisk and simmer for roughly
15 minutes, occasionally stirring, taking care not to bring to a boil.
It’s as easy as that.