Turmeric – ‘The Golden Spice of India’ is gaining a new found popularity these days, especially in the western countries. You might have heard that drinking Turmeric Latte or Turmeric Milk has amazing benefits for your overall health. But to get the most benefits out of it, it is necessary to prepare and drink it in an Ayurvedic way.
Turmeric has been used in Asian countries for thousands of years. As far as evidence goes, it is being used in India for at least 6000 years as medicine, beauty aid, cooking spice, a dye and a lot more. Turmeric can be used in many forms like raw, dried in the form of powder or paste form. It can be used internally as well as for external application. Here I am going to talk about one way of using turmeric internally, in the form of Turmeric Milk or the so called ‘Golden Milk’.
Benefits of drinking Turmeric Milk in an Ayurvedic way:
1. Respiratory illnesses
Cure of the respiratory system is one of the main traditional use of Turmeric. Milk with turmeric is considered the best remedy for cold and cough due to its antiviral and antibacterial properties. It gives instant relief to a sore throat, cough and cold. As an anti-oxidant it protects the lungs from pollution and toxins. It also helps the oxygen transfer from the lungs to the blood. Warm nature of the turmeric spice heats up the body and gives quick relief from lung congestion and sinuses.
2. Makes skin Glow
Turmeric is a skin’s food. Having turmeric milk regularly can purify and nourish the blood and results in healthy and glowing skin. Due to its anti-bacterial and antiseptic properties it is excellent for skin diseases like eczema, acne, skin cancers etc. and helps in preventing premature aging. The antioxidant properties of turmeric milk fight the free radicals that are known to damage our skin, leading to loss of sheen and elasticity. Turmeric exhibits strong antioxidant activity comparable to vitamin C, E and Beta-carotene.
3. It is an excellent Blood Purifier
Toxins in the blood are the underlying causes of many abnormal skin conditions and other diseases. Turmeric is a potent blood purifier and helps to create new blood. Turmeric helps the elimination of blood impurities by improving the function of the liver. Turmeric also protects liver from toxins and pathogens. The diuretic effect of turmeric helps flush out the toxins through urine.
4. It is a good Sleep Aid
Drinking warm milk with turmeric at bed time increases serotonin levels in the brain, this is associated with relaxation, calm mood and sleepiness.
5. Improves Reproductive Health of women
Turmeric acts as a mild phytoestrogen, promoting the reproductive health of females. Turmeric regulates menses, decreases intensity and pain of periods, decreases amenorrhea (an abnormal absence of menstruation) and decreases uterine tumors. Turmeric is a mild and supportive uterine stimulant.
6. It has Anti-Cancer properties
The curcumin in turmeric has been shown to kill cancer cells (apoptosis) and prevent their spread to other areas (metastasis). It is found to be effective against cancers of the breast, prostate, skin, colon, and lung. Many cancerous growths go undetected and untreated in the initial stages, drinking turmeric milk regularly may help prevent malignant growths as well as stop their progress in the early stages.
7. Pain and inflammation
Inflammation is generally regarded as a source of many health challenges. Turmeric is an excellent anti-inflammatory spice, easing conditions such as bursitis, arthritis, back pain etc.
8. Turmeric as First Aid
Researches has shown turmeric as haemostatic. It is able to stop the bleeding of wound and it is a great healer of wounds due to being both anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial.
How should you have it?
Turmeric milk is ideally prepared with full fat milk, because any kind of good fat or oil aids in the absorption of turmeric constituents. If needed, you can also sweeten the turmeric milk with your favorite sweetener. Traditionally honey is used in turmeric milk because along with sweetness honey has its own medicinal properties. Adding black pepper to turmeric or turmeric-spiced food enhances curcumin’s bioavailability by 1,000 times due to black pepper’s hot property called piperine.
Recipe using Turmeric Powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 cup whole milk/almond milk/coconut milk/ soy milk
- 1 tsp honey or your favourite sweetner (optional)
- 1/2 tsp ghee/coconut oil/almond oil (optional)
- 2-3 black peppercorns crushed
- Pinch of cardamom/ cinnamon powder for flavor (optional)
Heat milk over a low heat and stir in the turmeric powder, crushed black peppercorns, cardamom/ cinnamon powder. Bring to boil and allow to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and pour the milk into the cup then add ghee/ coconut oil / almond oil. Add add 1 tsp of honey once the milk has cooled enough to touch. Drink the milk while its warm.
Recipe using fresh Turmeric Root
- 1” piece of fresh turmeric
- 1/2″ piece of ginger root (optional)
- 1 cup milk/almond milk/coconut milk/ soy milk
- ½ cup water
- 2-3 black peppercorn crushed
- 1 tsp honey or your favorite sweetener (optional)
- 1/2 tsp ghee/coconut oil/almond oil (optional)
- Pinch of cardamom/ cinnamon powder for flavor (optional)
Grate or crush the turmeric and ginger root, and add it to water. Heat and bring it to boil and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, (boiling water and turmeric root first will make sure that milk will not convert into curd. Same applies if you are using ginger root) then add milk, crushed black peppercorn cardamom/ cinnamon powder into it boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and pour the milk into a cup. Then add ghee / coconut oil / almond oil and add 1 tsp of honey once the milk has cooled enough to touch. Drink it while its warm.
Note:
- If you are using honey in these recipes it is very important to know that honey should be added into the milk when it is removed from the stove. Heating honey at very high temperature changes its chemical composition and it becomes harmful for our body.
- According to Ayurveda Ghee and Honey should not be taken in the exact same proportion, as it leads to poisonous effect on the body. Ghee and honey should always be taken in the ratio of 1:2 .
- Ayurveda suggest that one should always drink milk in the evening (after sunset) or at the bed time because the enzymes required to digest the milk easily secretes in the human body during this part of the day.
See if you can find some good quality of turmeric root powder in your local grocery store. Amazon.com also has a wide range of organic turmeric root powder for sale. Following are some good quality and less expensive options I found, check them out:
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