Golden milk, also very popular as turmeric milk, is one of the most popular drinks in India. It has many health benefits and is effective in treating cough, cold, and any other pain in the body. Due to the many health benefits of golden milk, the drink has been gaining popularity in western culture.
The bright yellow-colored drink is made by heating cow’s milk or plant-based milk like almond milk. To this heated milk, yellow turmeric is added, and spices like black pepper, cinnamon, and ginger. The drink is very effective in healing a lot of health problems.
Golden milk benefits are popular all over the world. It is also a natural source to boost the human immune system and eliminate illness.
In our childhood, our parents told us about the benefits of golden milk, but we still refused to drink it. Today, let us look at the amazing health benefits of this magic drink.
Golden Milk Benefits
Golden milk or turmeric milk is loaded with a lot of essential nutrients. Turmeric has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that fight infections and increase the stamina of the white blood cells in the body.
If you can find ground turmeric, nothing is better. Drinking turmeric milk will help you eliminate joint pain, improve brain function, maintain proper gut health, and keep blood sugar in control.
Some studies show that drinking golden milk can help prevent heart disease and is as good as ayurvedic medicine.
1. Loaded With Antioxidant Properties
The key ingredient, turmeric, is one of the famous spices widely used in India and other Asian countries. Among all the other spices, it is the only spice that brings the yellow color to the food.
Turmeric is rich in curcumin, which is very rich in antioxidant properties. The ingredients have been used for centuries in ayurvedic medicine for their amazing health benefits.
Antioxidants are required in our body to fight cell damage and protect our body from oxidative stress. They are one of the most important compounds required for the proper functioning of cells. As research suggests, if we intake antioxidant-rich food in our diet, it will lower the risk of infections and diseases.
The traditional golden milk recipes generally include ginger and cinnamon. Both of these spices are rich in antioxidant properties.
2. Help Reduce Inflammation And Joint Pain
All the ingredients used in preparing the traditional Indian turmeric milk drink are rich in anti-inflammatory properties.
A major role is played by chronic inflammation in many serious diseases like cancer, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease. Therefore, it is suggested to intake food rich in anti-inflammatory properties to reduce inflammation, reducing the risk of suffering from these diseases.
According to research, the active compound in turmeric milk, cinnamon, curcumin, and ginger have potent anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds are so rich in nutrients that their strength can be compared with the strength of the pharmaceutical drugs available on the market.
It has been proven that curcumin is effective in reducing joint pain to a greater extent than any other drugs that are available on the market. Not only does it have anti-inflammatory properties, but it is also very effective in treating joint pain. It helps in treating the pains caused by rheumatoid arthritis.
People with osteoarthritis also experienced less pain after giving fresh ginger extract for a few days. They also reported that the fresh ginger extract helped in reducing the pain quicker than any other medicines.
3. Improves Memory And Brain Function
Turmeric milk is also helpful for the proper functioning of the brain. Curcumin in golden milk helps increase the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in the body.
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor is a very important substance required in our body as it helps grow new brain cells and also helps in forming new connections. A low level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the body refers to brain disorders and Alzheimer’s disease.
One of the causes of Alzheimer’s disease is the accumulation of a specific type of protein in the brain, also known as the tau protein. Research suggests that the cinnamon used in the making golden milk effectively removes the buildup of tau protein in the brain.
Fresh ginger extract in turmeric milk also helps in promoting brain memory. Ginger is also effective in preventing age-related memory loss in humans.
4. Curcumin Improves Mood
Yellow turmeric is the main ingredient of turmeric milk. The active compound in golden milk recipes, curcumin, is known to affect our mood as it reduces depression positively.
There was a research where a group of people with depression were given antidepressants, another group was given curcumin, and the last group was given a combination of both curcumin and antidepressants.
It has been seen that people given a dosage of curcumin regularly experienced similar improvements as the group that was given antidepressants. At the same time, the group that was provided the combination of curcumin and antidepressants experienced the most benefits.
Scientific references show that one of the causes of depression can be a low level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the brain. Since curcumin is effective in increasing the levels of BDNF in our system, it may act as a very good antidepressant.
Research is still being held to understand the effect of curcumin on the brain in a much better way.
5. Protects Against Heart Disease
Heart disease is one of the main causes of death today. All the ingredients used in making golden milk recipes, ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric, have active components known to lower the risk of heart disease.
Consuming 120 mg of cinnamon may lower cholesterol, triglyceride, and bad LDL levels in our body by increasing the good HDL levels.
If a person with diabetes regularly consumes 2 grams of ginger powder, the risk of getting any heart disease decreases by 23-28%. It also regulates the blood sugar level.
Curcumin in turmeric milk improves the endothelial function in our body, also known as the blood vessel lining function.
The presence of antioxidant and strong anti-inflammatory properties in turmeric milk also helps in reducing the risk of heart disease to a great extent.
6. Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
Ginger and cinnamon are known to lower blood sugar levels in our bodies. Consuming 1-2 grams of cinnamon lowers fasting blood sugar and helps lower insulin resistance.
Cinnamon is very effective in reducing the glucose level absorbed in our gut after every meal, which is very effective in lowering the blood sugar level.
In the same way, consuming ginger lowers hemoglobin A1C in our body by 10%, marking a healthy blood sugar level.
Remember, you will have to drink golden milk without raw honey or maple syrup as these are used for sweetening the milk.
Do not use any sweetening substances to make golden milk for health benefits.
7. Reduces The Risk Of Cancer
The rapid growth of cancer cells in our body is the main cause of cancer.
Scientists are consistently looking for medication that can reduce cancer cells and remove cancer completely from the human body but could not come up with a solution.
Therefore, in treating cancer, many anti-cancer substances are being used with the treatment to accelerate the improvement process. The good news is that turmeric milk ingredients have proved helpful for these health conditions.
6-gingerol is a substance found in fresh raw ginger and has potential health benefits in treating cancer. Similarly, cinnamon present in golden milk helps in reducing cancer cells.
It is still unclear how much of these ingredients should be consumed to get health benefits. More researches are yet to be conducted on this topic.
8. Presence Of Antibacterial And Antiviral Properties
Golden milk is a very healthy beverage used in almost every house in India to prevent coughs and colds. It has been proven that the ingredients used to make golden milk effectively boost the immune system.
Researches prove that curcumin has antibacterial and antiviral properties that are very helpful in treating infections. Various compounds in fresh ginger help fight the HRSV (human respiratory syncytial virus). This virus is the main cause of respiratory infections in humans.
The active compound in cinnamon, cinnamaldehyde, helps prevent the growth of bacteria. It is also helpful in treating respiratory infections caused by fungi.
9. Helps In Improving Digestion
Ginger and turmeric present in turmeric milk effectively treat chronic indigestion.
Taking more time than required for stomach emptying is one of the major causes of indigestion. Ginger in turmeric milk helps empty the stomach faster, thus reducing indigestion. It increases bile production by 62% in our body, which greatly impacts the proper digestion of food.
Ginger is also helpful in treating stomach ulcers as it prevents flare-ups in individuals.
10. Helps In Strengthening The Bones
Milk is rich in calcium which contributes to stronger bones. Both cow’s and plant-based milk like almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or cashew milk are rich in calcium and vitamin D. These ingredients are very helpful in providing strength and nourishment to the bones.
If our diet lacks calcium, the bones start releasing calcium to maintain the calcium level in the blood. Therefore, the calcium level in the bone decreases, increasing the risk of bone diseases. Some of the common bone diseases are osteoporosis and osteopenia.
Vitamin D increases calcium absorption from the food we intake in the gut, thus increasing the calcium level in the body. Therefore, it is very important to maintain the level of Vitamin D in our body to prevent ourselves from having brittle and fragile bones.
If you choose to make golden milk from plant-based milk, choose milk with vitamin D and calcium.
11. Improves Skin Health
The skin is considered the first line of defense in our body. It is the largest organ that fights viruses and toxins in the environment and is considered the primary organ responsible for the body’s detoxification.
People may suffer from skin problems by consuming unnatural food. As turmeric contains healing and anti-inflammatory properties, it is the best for treating skin problems.
Moreover, drinking turmeric latte can reduce the causes of acne and eczema. It is why skincare products use turmeric as their main ingredients these days.
You can also apply milk turmeric on your face to eliminate acne and other infections.
Some major skin issues that can be treated using turmeric are mentioned here.
1. Clears Blemishes
Besides drinking turmeric milk, you can also add turmeric to your face mask to reduce many skin problems. One such problem is blemishes.
Turmeric is very effective in treating blemishes as it reduces the appearance of any dark spots on the skin. It is a natural antiseptic that has great healing powers.
2. Ease Rashes
As turmeric has antiseptic properties, it is very helpful in treating rashes and infections. It provides relief to the skin by neutralizing the rashes.
Apply turmeric milk all over your face or the parts with rashes. Please leave it to dry and then wash it off with cold water.
You will get to see results after the first wash itself.
3. Fights Acne
Turmeric milk is a great natural source of treating acne. If you are suffering from severe acne conditions, try applying turmeric milk.
The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties in turmeric milk help to soothe the site of acne and prevent the germs from spreading.
It also has antioxidant properties that help rejuvenate the skin and also provide a glow. Daily use of a cotton ball dipped in turmeric milk will give you good long-term results.
Always do a patch test before trying anything on your skin, as some people are allergic to milk.
12. Helps With Anxiety And Sleep
Almost everyone’s sleep schedule has taken a toll in today’s modern world. People are so busy working and doing other activities that they often forget the importance of having a sound sleep for 7-8 hours.
Having inadequate sleep may not seem a problem for most people, but it can have long-term effects on our bodies. Anxiety and stress are the most common effects of not having proper sleep and not taking proper rest.
Drinking turmeric milk before bed will make you sleep like a baby. But there is nothing to worry about when you have turmeric to the rescue. The amino acids in golden milk help boost proper sleep, thus ensuring you wake up fresh without feeling any blues.
13. Milk Has Lots Of Nutrients
Apart from calcium and vitamin D, milk has a lot of other nutrients that are necessary for our body. The linoleic and omega-3 fatty acids have great health benefits.
In addition, milk is also rich in vitamin B12, vitamin B2, phosphorous, potassium, and selenium. It is also rich in other nutrients like zinc, magnesium, vitamin A, and vitamin B1.
All these nutrients make milk the best drink for daily consumption.
Golden Milk Recipe
Making golden or turmeric milk is one of the easiest things to do. You can follow the following steps for making golden milk for one serving.
Ingredients
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120 ml or a half cup of unsweetened milk (milk can be of your choice)
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1 tablespoon turmeric
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half tablespoon of ginger powder of 1 piece of grated ginger
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half tablespoon cinnamon powder
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half tablespoon black pepper
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1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)
Directions
For making golden milk, you will have to heat the milk to begin with. Add the spices mentioned above and wait for the milk to boil completely. You can also wait until the milk gets flavourful.
After heating the milk, strain it into a cup or glass and add a pinch of cinnamon on top, and your soothing drink of golden milk is ready.
You can also store this drink in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. All you will have to do is heat it before drinking.
Turmeric Latte Is Healthy
Turmeric milk may not be as effective as the treatments and medications, but it has a lot of good effects in treating various diseases. This natural remedy boosts the immune system, which automatically fights infections and foreign substances in our body.
Many researchers state that golden milk helps lower the risk of many fatal diseases. It has preventive properties that help prevent heart diseases, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
It is always better to make this tasty beverage at home than to buy the mixture from somewhere, as the ingredients used in making the ready-made mixture can be harmful.
You will get the most benefits of golden milk if you use unsweetened milk to prepare this recipe. Adding sweetening substances will reduce the potential healing benefits of a healthy drink.
Best Time To Drink Golden Milk
There is nothing the best time to drink golden milk. You can drink it anytime as per your preference.
If you are into intermittent fasting, you can enjoy golden milk in breakfast by replacing your regular breakfast.
Turmeric milk is also a great alternative for desserts. You can have this drink after lunch or dinner to reduce the cravings for sweets.
Turmeric milk is also equivalent to turmeric tea and can be used between tea times.
In short, it is a very versatile drink and can be consumed at any time of the day.
Golden Milk Side Effects
There are fewer or no side effects of turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon in the human body. It is an alternative remedy for treating various diseases and is also considered an option for healthy food.
But some people face problems after consuming this drink regularly. Some of the problems people generally face after drinking turmeric latte are mentioned here.
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Upset stomach
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Diarrhea
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Nausea
Remember to check whether you are lactose intolerant or not before trying this drink. However, in most cases, the side effects of golden milk have been seen due to excessive consumption.
If you tend to take turmeric milk excessively, you might have chances o forming gallstones or kidney stones as there will be turmeric oxalates in your body.
Also, make sure to check if you are allergic to any ingredients or not that are used in making golden milk. If you are allergic to any of these substances, please do not consume or take suggestions from a doctor before consuming.
Conclusion
By now, we all know that drinking golden milk has a lot of good effects on our bodies. It not only provides strength and stability to the bones but also prevents infections and boosts our immune system.
Do not forget these golden milk benefits and try to include this healthy beverage in your daily life to attain the most benefits.
