Turmeric milk is a golden yellow spice used in Asian curries. It is obtained from the ginger root rhizome of Curcuma longa, a tropical herb from India. The well-researched anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer properties of turmeric make it worth it to include in your diet. If you are not a curry fan, turmeric milk is an excellent choice.
Turmeric milk, also sometimes referred to as golden milk, is an infusion of dried turmeric powder or fresh turmeric root (rhizome) in milk. It is traditionally used in Indian homes for the treatment of specific diseases as well as a tonic for general health.
How to prepare turmeric milk
Turmeric milk is ideally prepared with whole milk. You can use skim milk, but milk fat, or any kind of fat or oil for that matter, helps the absorption of the turmeric components. Sweeten turmeric milk with a little honey for children, but a pinch of ground black pepper adds flavor. In addition, piperine in black pepper increases the bioavailability of curcumin.
Preparation of turmeric milk with turmeric powder
Ingredients:
-½ teaspoon turmeric
-1 cup milk
-½ cup of water
-2-3 grains of black pepper
Preparation:
Heat milk and water over low heat and add the turmeric powder. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. This will reduce milk to one cup. Turn off the heat and add the crushed black pepper. Drink hot milk.
Preparation of turmeric milk with fresh turmeric root (rhizome)
Ingredients:
-1 piece fresh turmeric
-1 cup milk
-½ cup of water
-2-3 grains of black pepper
Grate or crush turmeric and add to milk and water. Bring to a boil over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Add crushed pepper and let stand to one side for 5 minutes. Finally pour the turmeric milk into a cup and drink it warm.
Benefits of Turmeric Milk for Health
1. Turmeric Milk Helps Improve Immunity
Turmeric milk is an excellent tonic for improving your general immunity against a number of diseases. It is especially useful in the cold and flu season, thanks to its antiviral effect. If you are prone to picking up infectious diseases, take the habit of drinking a cup of turmeric milk on an empty stomach in the morning or just before bedtime at night.
This is particularly beneficial for children who tend to bring home not only colds and flu, but chickenpox and measles school and playground. Swimmers and people who take public transportation or otherwise participate in activities that carry them in close contact with a lot of other people would also benefit from a regular dose of this health promoting drink.
2. Relieves coughs and colds
Turmeric milk is a traditional remedy commonly used for coughs, colds and other respiratory tract infections. Turmeric increases the production of mucus that naturally empties microbes that have managed to have a foothold in the respiratory tract. The antiviral and antibacterial properties of turmeric can help fight infections, while anti-inflammatory property helps relieve symptoms. A cup of warm turmeric milk before going to bed will relieve the night cough and provide a restful sleep.
You can cope with most digestive tract problems with turmeric. That could be why it came to be considered as an important culinary spice. It improves digestion, helps relieve gas and bloating, as well as the heartburn resulting from gastric reflux.
Turmeric increases the flow of bile, which helps in the digestion of fat. Loss of appetite and indigestion can be successfully treated with one cup of turmeric milk a day.
Turmeric can prevent and treat gastrointestinal infections and get rid of worms. In the tropics where intestinal parasites are very common, especially in children, turmeric milk comes to the rescue.
4. It is a liver tonic
Laboratory tests and clinical studies have demonstrated the ability of curcumin to turmeric to prevent and reverse liver cirrhosis and fatty liver. The liver, being the chemical nucleus of the body, is constantly involved in the processing of chemicals that enter the body. This includes environmental contaminants, chemical additives in processed foods and medications taken for other diseases. The hepatoprotective and detoxifying action of turmeric reduces the impact of liver tissue damage by these toxic substances. By increasing the production of bile, it helps eliminate biliary obstructions as well.
5. It is an excellent blood purifier
Turmeric has always been considered as an excellent detoxifying agent. Our body has to deal with an avalanche of toxins that enter the blood through our food and drink as well as the respiratory tract. They can damage not only the blood vessels but all other tissues that the contaminated blood reaches.
Toxins in the blood are the underlying causes of many abnormal skin conditions and other diseases. Turmeric helps in removing impurities from the blood by improving liver function, which is tasked with identifying these toxins and finding a way to eliminate them. On the other hand, the diuretic effect of turmeric helps to eliminate these toxins through the urine.
Arthritic pain relief is one of the most common reasons for a vast majority of people who resort to herbal remedies like turmeric. If the external application of capsaicin gives temporary relief of pain, taking turmeric internally can make it even better. The anti-inflammatory effect of turmeric is excellent, but if you find that dairy products are worsening your symptoms, you can prepare turmeric with coconut milk instead.
7. Improves women’s reproductive health
Turmeric acts as a mild phytoestrogen, promoting the reproductive health of females. It increases fertility in women who have trouble conceiving because of hormone insufficiency. Women with painful periods find relief with turmeric milk taken during the week of their period. It also relieves postmenopausal symptoms.
Although turmeric reduces the periods associated with pain, it is a uterine stimulant that promotes the free flow of menstrual secretion. For this reason, turmeric in therapeutic doses should be avoided during pregnancy.
8. It has anticancer properties
Curcumin in turmeric has been shown to kill cancer cells (apoptosis) and prevent their spread to other areas (metastases) in laboratory studies. It is found to be effective against cancers of the breast, prostate, skin, colon and lung. Many cancerous tumors go unnoticed and untreated in the initial stages when it would have been much easier to stop them in their infancy. Drinking turmeric milk regularly can help prevent malignant growths as well as stop its progress in the early stages.
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