What Is Golden Milk & How Does It Affect Health?
Golden milk, also called turmeric tea, is a warm drink that has been used in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, but has lately made a name for itself in the Western world. The uses of golden milk are extensive, and it is prized for its unique blend of ingredients: coconut milk, black pepper, and turmeric. This simple, yet powerful recipe has the power to create a wave of positive effects on the body, and it is no surprise the interest in turmeric has skyrocketed as a result. After all, this one drink has antioxidant properties, is anti-arthritic, and can help prevent cancer among an array of other conditions. To better understand what makes this drink so potent, it is best to look at what is in it.
What Is It Exactly?
Golden milk has a distinct and unforgettable name, but what is it exactly? Golden milk only has three ingredients, so what is it that makes these three ingredients create such a significant effect on the body? The answer to this particular question lies in the active ingredient of turmeric: curcumin. Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant that also holds anti-inflammatory properties. While the amount of curcumin in turmeric is only about three percent by weight, the effects of curcumin can be enhanced with the use of a compound found in black pepper. This compound is called piperine, and it keeps the liver from metabolizing the curcumin before the body absorbs it into the bloodstream. Even with just a small amount of black pepper, the bioavailability of curcumin can increase by up to two thousand percent.
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Nutritional Facts
In addition to the curcumin found in turmeric and the piperine found in black pepper, which are the main proponents of golden milk, another key component of golden milk is coconut milk. Coconut milk is known for its medium-chain triglycerides, also known as MCTs, and these are helpful for reducing inflammation, while also supporting the growth of muscles and weight loss. Coconut milk also contains healthy fats and natural electrolytes, which can help boost the health of your gut and regulate digestion. This means while coconut milk is assisting your digestion, the black pepper and turmeric are assisting your metabolism.
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Anti-Inflammatory Properties
The anti-inflammatory properties stem from the curcumin that can be found as the active ingredient in turmeric. While this ingredient is key for any golden milk, it cannot act on its own. It is necessary for piperine to be present so the curcumin can be activated properly. However, when the two come together, it allows for the properties found in the curcumin to be used by the body as it should be. These properties can help alleviate pain as well as reduce general inflammation. That is, they can target the areas of the body where there is inflammation as a result of irritation or injury and counteract that inflammation to lessen the effects.
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Helps Treat Colds And Diseases
Anti-inflammatory properties are not singularly found in golden milk. Typically, individuals will take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug to counteract inflammation. These target pain in the body and they can also reduce fever. Because curcumin is also anti-inflammatory, it can serve a similar purpose and helps treat the same colds and diseases. That is, it can also alleviate the symptoms typically associated with the flu and colds by lowering fevers and relieving pain. While it cannot replace traditional treatment for a cold or disease, it is an option for individuals who would like to shorten the length of illness or who would like to provide their body with additional help in healing.
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Helps With Weight Loss
As surprising as it may sound, this is not the extent of the benefits of golden milk. In fact, golden milk also helps with weight loss. This is because golden milk's core ingredient, coconut milk, has properties that allow your gut's health to be increased and your digestion to be improved. This means you can better process daily meals. Paired with a healthy diet and regular exercise, this can make a significant difference, especially when you consider golden milk can also help regulate metabolism.
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Boosts Brain Function
Studies indicate golden milk boosts brain function. Several older studies draw a link between turmeric consumption and brain health, showing eating turmeric might improve brain function. With that said, more recent and better-documented studies are necessary to determine how turmeric affects brain function, how much turmeric is optimal for brain health, and whether there are any cognitive drawbacks. Some animal studies have shown cinnamon and ginger might have positive effects on brain function, but more study is needed on human subjects. One of the studies was done on the effect of cinnamon on the preservation of certain specific proteins that help fight cognitive symptoms of Parkinson's disease. In animal studies, there were promising results, but there haven't yet been studies on human participants regarding the effectiveness of cinnamon on brain function.
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Aids Digestion
Golden milk has a few different qualities that can aid digestion. Different individuals will experience different levels of effectiveness depending on how their bodies react to the ingredients. Ginger is one of the main ingredients that can help with digestion. Many individuals use ginger as a home remedy for vomiting and nausea, which is part of the reason why ginger ale is such a popular drink when someone is sick. There have been several studies indicating ginger does have a genuine effect on the digestive system. One study was done on chemotherapy patients who experienced nausea. When they ingested ginger, the patients experienced a reduction in their digestive symptoms with minimal side effects. Other studies have looked into the effect ginger has on the gases formed during digestion. Research shows ginger may be able to help break up the gases and expel them from the body, which helps settle an upset stomach and relieve indigestion. Some research indicates ginger might aid in the movement of food through the digestive tract, which means it might relieve constipation.
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May Prevent Heart Disease
Golden milk is made up of three major ingredients that have all been independently studied and linked to a reduction in heart disease. Each of these ingredients has shown promise in reducing an individual's risk of developing heart disease, but more comprehensive research is necessary. Most of the existing studies have limited sample sizes and data. Another important factor to consider is the amount of each ingredient that's found in a typical eight-ounce serving of golden milk. Individuals might need to ingest significantly more of these ingredients than a single serving of golden milk to reap cardiovascular benefits. A small study indicated patients who took curcuminoids following a coronary artery bypass surgery tended to have a lower rate of cardiac events like heart attacks. For those in the placebo group, about thirty percent had post-surgery cardiac events. For those taking curcuminoids, only about thirteen percent had post-surgery cardiac events. As with the other research, though, more studies need to be done to prove the correlation.
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May Reduce Blood Sugar
Some research indicates golden milk may help lower blood sugar, but more evidence needs to be published before these findings can be considered definitive. Diabetes patients, however, should never use golden milk as a replacement for their usual blood sugar monitoring habits. If individuals plan to introduce any new supplements, foods, or medications to help regulate their blood sugar, they should make sure they talk to a doctor first. There have been studies showing ginger consumption can help reduce the fasting blood sugar of type 2 diabetes patients. A double-blind study with a placebo control group confirmed these findings, though it did have a small sample size of participants. In that study, one group took a placebo and the other took ginger supplements for ten weeks. Following the study, researchers discovered those who took ginger supplements had significantly reduced fasting blood sugar when compared to the placebo group. Other ingredients in golden milk might be able to slow or regulate the digestive process, causing blood sugar to be released more slowly.
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Promotes Strong Bones
Yet another health benefit of golden milk is that it promotes strong bones. This is especially encouraging for individuals who use golden milk and other plant-based milks as supplements for dairy due to vegetarianism, veganism, lactose intolerance, or other dietary restrictions. Golden milk is often fortified with ingredients such as calcium and vitamin D, which can be just as beneficial to bone health as traditional dairy milk. Calcium is vital to ongoing bone health, and vitamin D helps the body absorb the calcium found in foods. Different golden milk recipes may have different effects on bone health. Milk substitutes like coconut milk might not have calcium in them themselves. If an individual's golden milk is made with plant-based milk, it's not guaranteed to have the same nutritional properties found in dairy milk. However, if individuals make the effort to find plant-based milks that have been specifically fortified, most of these will contain high calcium levels and added vitamin D.