This iced golden milk latte is insanely delicious and is also packed with potent healing abilities.
The main ingredient, turmeric, has been used in India for thousands of years as not only a spice, but a medicinal superfood. It's what gives curry that bright yellow color.
What makes turmeric so healing? Well, turmeric consists of bioactive compounds with powerful restorative properties known as curcuminoids. The most important curcuminoid is curcumin. It's the key active ingredient in turmeric that produces its wide range of health benefits including reducing inflammation, boosting immunity, enhancing brain health, and improving cardiovascular function.
Turmeric has been considered the most effective nutritional supplement for your body and brain to have ever existed.
Here’s how it works:
INFLAMMATION
Curcumin is such a powerful anti-inflammatory compound that fights inflammation on a molecular level. In fact, it’s so powerful that it's as effective (if not more) as some anti-inflammatory drugs, but without the nasty side effects. It blocks NF-kB, a molecule that travels into the nuclei of your cells and turns on genes related to inflammation. NF-kB is believed to play a major role in many chronic diseases.
In particular, it has been shown to be very successful in treating arthritis. In a study of 45 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 500 mg of curcumin was given per day and turned out to be more effective than the popular anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac.
IMMUNITY
Curcumin is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals due to its unique chemical structure, as well as boost the production and activity of your body's own antioxidant enzymes.
Research concludes that because of curcumins protection against free radicals, it has the ability to combat the growth of tumors and abnormal cells.
BRAIN FUNCTION
Turmeric has also been proven to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. Not to mention, it has shown to work as effectively as an SSRI (anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication).
In a controlled trial, 60 people with depression were randomized into three groups. One group took Prozac, another group one gram of curcumin, and the third group both Prozac and curcumin. After 6 weeks, curcumin produced improvements in patients that were identical to Prozac.
The active ingredient, curcumin, has also shown to improve overall brain activity and may alleviate symptoms of various degenerative brain disorders. Because of curcumins powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, research states that it has the ability to stimulate cognitive functioning in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
Curcumin is also great for the heart and arteries.
One of the main benefits of curcumin when it comes to the cardiovascular system is improving the function of the endothelium (the lining of blood vessels and arteries), and thus improving blood circulation and pressure.
During a long study, curcumin was able to lower cholesterol and work as effectively as the drug atorvastatin (Lipitor), which reduces cholesterol and fat buildup in the arteries. The difference is that curcumin didn't come with the nasty side effects. Curcumins ability to combat inflammation and oxidation also plays a vital role in healthy heart functioning.
RECIPE
This iced golden latte is a modern take on an ancient healing drink. It only takes a couple of minutes to make, and it’s such a great swap for caffeine or anytime you want a little brain/mood boost! Great before bed, too, since people report that turmeric gives them a sense of calm/wellbeing.
*The recipe is naturally vegan and paleo.
INGREDIENTS
1.5 cups almond milk
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp vanilla extract or 1/4 inch vanilla bean
pinch of black pepper
Confused by the black pepper?
Though turmeric is so good for you, it’s poorly absorbed by the body. Thankfully, the piperine in black pepper tremendously helps the absorption of it in the bloodstream (it enhances its bioavailability by up to 2,000%!). Curcumin is also fat-soluble, so it's best to have it with a richer plant milk with some healthy fats like almond or cashew milk.
INSTRUCTIONS Toss all ingredients in a blender to make sure all ingredients (especially the honey) are well mixed. Blending it also makes it nice and frothy. Pour it over some ice and enjoy!
