What is golden milk? Nutriciologist named 5 useful properties of the drink

“Most of us are used to using spices as an additive to dishes. But apart from this way of using them, spices can also be added to various drinks, and it’s not just coffee. For example, there is a very popular drink called golden milk, in which one spice plays a very important role”.

What is golden milk?

This is the name of the drink, the main ingredients of which are milk and turmeric. In various recipes, other spices, butter, honey or sugar are added to them. Therefore, the calories in each individual case will be different.

On average, one serving is 80 kcal.

Golden milk is considered an ancient Indian drink and part of Ayurvedic medicine. The name comes from the Hindu term Haldi Doodh (Haldi Doodh), which means turmeric milk. In India, the drink is widely used to treat fever, colds, coughs and boost immunity.

Traditional haldi doodh is simple: half a cup or less of hot milk is stirred with a tablespoon of ground turmeric. Milk is used simply as a suitable medium for the spice, which can also be mixed with hot water.

Additives like almond milk, coconut oil, spices and sweeteners were invented in the West in order to make the drink more appealing to customers.

What are the benefits of the drink?

Milk is beneficial to humans because it contains:

• animal protein;
• calcium;
• phosphorus;
• potassium;
• vitamin D and B vitamins.

All these substances are well absorbed by the body and have a beneficial effect on the bone system.

Curcuma comes from the rhizome of the ginger family. Every year it is harvested, boiled and dried in hot ovens and then ground into a brightly colored powder. When fresh, it looks very similar to fresh ginger root, but has an intense yellow-orange color visible under the beige rind, which is due to the presence of curcumin.

The spice has a mild, earthy, almost woody flavor that makes it suitable for sweet and savory dishes, it is part of curries, and it is used to dye fabrics.

Curcuma has health benefits such as:

1. Presence of antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
2. The ability to protect against cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes and help fight gastrointestinal problems.
3. Reducing symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
4. Presence of polyphenols. They have a positive effect on the gut microbiome: they are metabolized by various microbes in the lower parts of the gut and converted into digestible, healthy metabolites.
5. Slow aging. The turmeric in the drink effectively removes toxins from the body, which purifies the blood, improves skin health and prevents age-related changes.

In addition, turmeric essential oil is used in perfumery.

A peculiarity of the spice is that the curcumin contained in it is poorly digested: it is not very bioavailable. One solution to this problem is to use turmeric with black pepper. It contains piperine, a phytochemical that has been shown to significantly increase the bioavailability of the spice. This is why pepper is sometimes found in the drink’s ingredient list.

Curcumin, mentioned above, is the active ingredient in turmeric. It is used as a food coloring, added to yellow mustard and many other ready-made dishes.

The substance also has a positive effect on human health. For example, it effectively helps in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, regulates blood clotting, is used to fight heartburn, headaches, skin diseases and can alleviate various conditions, from chronic pain to depression.

Thus, golden milk can be called not only popular, but also very tasty and useful drink. It can be a good addition to the diet, increase its nutritional value and bring new flavors.

Of course, it is not recommended to add sugar and honey to the drink: this will not add any benefit to it, but will only increase the caloric value and become a source of simple carbohydrates. Also, the product should not be consumed with individual intolerance to the components.

Recipes of golden milk

Simple golden milk

Ingredients:

• water – 200 ml;
• milk – 200 ml;
• turmeric – 2 tbsp.

Preparation:

1. Prepare the base: to do this, combine the water and turmeric in a small turba or saucepan.
2. Put on low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until you get a homogeneous porridge.
3. Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat, add the prepared turmeric on the tip of a spoon, stir.
4. Serve the drink warm.

Golden milk with coconut oil

Ingredients:

• Milk – 1 tbsp;
• water – 50 ml;
• turmeric – 1 tsp;
• coconut oil – 1 tsp.

Preparation:

1. In a small container, put water on fire.
2. When it boils, add a teaspoon of turmeric, cook for 5-7 minutes.
3. Add a cup of milk, a teaspoon of butter.
4. Heat on low heat, maximum to 60 degrees.

Golden milk on vegetable milk

Ingredients:

• vegetable milk – 1 tbsp;
• turmeric – 1 tsp;
• ginger – 5 cm of root;
• cinnamon – 1 stick;
• black pepper peas – to taste.

Preparation:

1. Chop the ginger and put it in a non-stick ladle.
2. Add turmeric and cinnamon.
3. Heat for a few seconds to let the spices release their flavor.
4. Pour in any vegetable milk and heat, but do not boil.
5. Add freshly ground black pepper.