Golden Milk What The Heck Is It?(And How To Make It)

Not sure about golden milk? Get in line. Many are unaware. But, that’s no reason to avoid it. We give you the many reasons why you might want to add it to your daily diet. You’re welcome!

Golden milk is a spicy, delicious mixture of milk, turmeric, and black pepper, as well as other ingredients that may vary. A westernized variant of the traditional Ayurvedic remedy, haldi doodh (turmeric milk), golden milk is often used as a remedy for colds and inflammation.

Golden milk has, in recent years, grown in popularity.

Why?

There are a few reasons. For starters, it’s very tasty. It can also be used in fighting simple problems like gas, indigestion and the common cold. As well, it has been linked with fighting cancer. Golden milk may even be useful for certain mood disorders.

What makes golden milk such a great remedy?

The main ingredient, turmeric, contains curcumin. Of course, curcumin is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Is golden milk something you should think about adding to your daily diet?

We will give you all the info you need to help you decide.

 The Secret Health Boosts Of Golden Milk

Something this tasty surely can’t be healthy, right?

You might be surprised. Golden milk is packed with superfoods such as turmeric and ginger. These superfoods could have impressive benefits for both your body and mind.

How so?  

• Cold and flu: Golden milk is a popular cold and flu remedy. Why? Not only because of the antimicrobial properties of the ingredients (such as honey and coconut oil), but also because of the nasal-clearing power of ginger and turmeric. When served warm, golden milk is sure to make you feel better. With that said, it may be even better taken on a regular basis to prevent illness.
• Inflammation: Curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory. It is, in fact, one of nature’s most powerful anti-inflammatories. Inflammation is a key problem in most diseases, and many people have a diet that is high in inflammatory foods, such as sugar, gluten, and processed foods. Most people can reap the benefits of anti-inflammatories.
• Anti-cancer properties: One of the most important benefits of curcumin is its ability to fight cancer. Not only does curcumin appear to be universally effective against eliminating various types of cancer, it also appears to be cancer-specific. In other words, unlike many forms of cancer treatment, curcumin will not wreak havoc on the body while it attacks cancer cells. Curcumin does this by promoting the growth of healthy cells and cell function. It also prevents additional blood supply to cancer cells.
• Weight loss: Turmeric is known for its ability to break down fat. Research has shown that it was able to reduce the fat cell growth in mice. It has also shown that it could boost your metabolism.
• Digestion: Turmeric is great for digestion in general. With that said, adding ginger to your golden milk will add extra potency in this area. Drinking turmeric regularly will reduce bloating, gas and indigestion. Golden milk may also help the body absorb and metabolize fat more effectively.

As well, golden milk may benefit your mental health. Aside from the comfort that the drink provides, curcumin has been studied as a preventative agent against Alzheimer’s. It has also been used as an alternative medicine for depression and other mood disorders.

Other potential benefits of drinking golden milk include increased skin clarity and improvement of cardiovascular health. Turmeric has also been shown to fight cirrhosis of the liver due to fat or alcohol intake.

Please note that even though turmeric may be a great alternative and preventative medicine, it is important to ask your doctor about the risks or benefits of adding turmeric into your daily diet. This is especially important if you are undergoing pharmacological treatments for cancer or other illnesses.

What’s In Golden Milk?

Golden milk is full of healthy, tasty and interesting ingredients. Of course, these ingredients will vary depending on the recipe that you decide to use. Here is a list of the ingredients that we advise, with some details on why they are needed:

Turmeric

Turmeric is the star of golden milk. And, it gets that spot for more than just its taste and color. Turmeric is a powerful spice, as well as a superfood. It contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. One of its components, curcumin, has been shown to be a powerful cancer killer. Although some people will benefit more from taking curcumin capsules, in the long term, the amount in these capsules will not be a healthy amount for most. For most people, as a preventative measure especially, consuming lower but effective doses of curcumin on a daily basis is safer and effective.

Black Pepper

This may be the most surprising ingredient on the list. Despite that, it is likely the second most important. Black pepper not only lends the drink a spicy, fun flavor. It also helps the body absorb turmeric more easily, boosting the bioavailability of turmeric by 2000%. While you can make golden milk without black pepper and still reap the rewards, the effects will not be nearly as powerful.

Ginger

A powerful spice and superfood, ginger is known to have similar properties to turmeric. For example, it has the ability to help fend off colds (many of us have probably used ginger to fight a stuffy nose) and reduce inflammation. Ginger is also useful for combating nausea and other abdominal discomforts. It has even been suggested for those who battle irritable bowel syndrome. Aside from its nutritional importance, some golden milk drinkers cite its flavor, saying that ginger helps cut the bitterness of turmeric. One thing is for sure: It’s worth adding to your diet.

Honey

Honey will appeal your sweet tooth. But, that’s not all. It will also act as a natural antimicrobial. Local honey is also beneficial for fighting allergies. If you are on a vegan diet, natural maple syrup will do just fine.

Coconut Oil

Turmeric is a fat-soluble spice, so coconut oil, full of healthy fats, helps the body digest it. Coconut oil is also useful when you are making golden paste. Of course, you can store it in the fridge to whip up golden milk any time you want it. The fats in coconut oil and coconut milk, when consumed at the right amount, have also been shown to help aging men control their weight.

Coconut Milk

You can use an array of milks, but coconut milk is advised in most recipes. Why? It has a creamy texture (creating a wonderful base for the drink) and natural, healthy fats. Like coconut oil, coconut milk contains lauric acid. When converted in the body, it acts as an antimicrobial.

Ingredients Of Golden Milk: Things You Might Want To Think About

The ingredients of golden milk have been chosen for a reason, as you hopefully can see from the details we just offered. With that said, we all have different dietary needs. As a result, you may want to think about fine-tuning your golden milk to suit your needs.

Be aware that, while coconut milk and oil contain healthy fats, they are still fats. When overused, even healthy fats can contribute to heart disease. If you are concerned about fat content, you can also try unsweetened almond, soy, cashew or rice milk.

Although honey is beneficial for the reasons we mentioned, many experts advise drinking golden milk without a sweetener. Why? Any sweetener, natural or not, may boost your sugar cravings, increase blood sugar and have other negative costs.

The type of milk you use in your golden milk matters, as dairy is known to increase inflammation. To truly earn all the health benefits that golden milk can offer, use the healthiest and most beneficial ingredients that you can find.

High levels of curcumin may also make certain health conditions worse. Although golden milk does not contain the extremely high levels that are typically found in curcumin capsules, people who have gallstones, diabetes or kidney stones may want to talk to their doctor before deciding to consume turmeric on a regular basis. Those who are on blood thinners, or people whose blood does not clot effectively, should also check with their doctor.

How To Make Golden Milk

Rest easy.

Why?

Making golden milk is easy. We will even provide you with two ways that you can do so. If you want to make a serving of golden milk for immediate delight, have your blender ready and follow these steps:

First, add one cup of milk. For this, you can use unsweetened almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk or even cow’s milk (though the former three types are advised).

Next, add one to two teaspoons of honey. The amount of sweetener you add will vary depending on your personal taste. For this recipe, raw, organic honey is best.

Then, add 1 teaspoon of raw, organic coconut oil. From there, add one teaspoon of cinnamon. Some recipes use fresh cinnamon, but ground cinnamon is also a good choice.

Make sure to add that dash of black pepper to help your body absorb the turmeric! Also add one teaspoon of ginger, raw or ground. Most importantly, add one teaspoon of turmeric, raw or ground.

Note that while you can use ground turmeric and ginger for this recipe, fresh turmeric and ginger are advised. Ground turmeric may give your drink a gritty texture, rather than the creamy texture you may want or expect.

If you would rather have a bulk of ingredients ready to mix at will (without all the hassle of chopping and blending each time you want golden milk, especially if you might make this a daily routine), then follow these instructions to make fabulous golden paste, a recipe developed by veterinarian Doug English.

For your golden paste, use these ingredients:

½ cup of turmeric powder

1 cup of water (up to 1 ½ cup, if you prefer)

2-3 teaspoons of ground black pepper

1/3 cup of organic coconut oil (other oils, such as extra-virgin olive oil, will also work)

Directions:

In a pan, cook the turmeric and water over a low heat until a thick paste forms. This should take close to, but no less than, 10 minutes. While cooking, you may need to add extra water.

After the paste forms, you can transfer it to a bowl or the container you will keep it in. Add oil and pepper (be sure that you do not add until the end of cooking) and mix well.

When you want to enjoy golden milk, simply mix the golden paste with coconut milk or another milk of your choice, heat (or don’t) and enjoy.

Golden paste is a useful mixture to have on hand.

Why?

It can be used in a number of ways. Turmeric paste can be used as a remedy for both humans and pets. It can be added to dishes such as rice and pasta, and be used to make golden milk or tea. Making golden paste ahead of time will also ensure that you have the option to enjoy golden milk any time you want. You can keep golden paste in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Conclusion 

Turmeric is a wonderful superfood with incredible and vast perks for both your body and mind. Regularly consuming curcumin may improve digestion, improve mental health, reduce inflammation and even help to prevent cancer.

There are many ways to enjoy the perks of turmeric, ginger, coconut milk and coconut oil, but few are quite as pleasing and tasty as a warm mug of golden milk. Make yourself a glass of this incredible drink at least a few times a week and see what it can do for you. You’ll be glad you did.

By Sarah Butcher