By Sejal Shah
Golden Milk is a highly nutritious, Ayurvedic drink for vibrant health and glow. Find out 9 scientific benefits and how to make it, Vegan or regular!
Golden milk—also known as Haldi doodh (turmeric milk)—is a traditional Indian drink that has recently been gaining popularity in Western cultures, thanks to the increasing visibility of both yoga and Ayurveda in the West. It is often known as golden milk latte or turmeric latte or turmeric tea and is available in many coffee or grocery shops.
This healthy, bright yellow beverage is traditionally made by warming up cow’s milk with turmeric and other spices like cinnamon and ginger. Alternatively, as a vegan variant, you can also make golden milk with a plant-based alternative, like nut milk (almond milk or cashew milk) or coconut milk) or soy milk or oat milk.
Turmeric from Ayurveda point of view
Turmeric, or Curcuma longa-Rhizoma, is also known as Haridrā, which literally means yellow. It is a perennial plant grown throughout Asia and has a signature bright yellow color. Turmeric’s taste (rasa) is pungent, bitter, and astringent. Its energy (virya) is heating, and it has dry and light qualities (gunas). Thus, turmeric contains balancing qualities for all three doshas: its heat balances Vata and Kapha, its dryness and its pungent and bitter tastes balance Kapha, and its bitter taste also balances Pitta, making it tri-doshic!
The health benefits of Golden Milk
According to Medical News Today, this much-talked-about wonder herb, in the form of golden milk, has many benefits—it’s loaded with antioxidants, and may reduce inflammation and joint pain, improve memory and brain function, protect against heart disease, lower blood sugar levels, help digestion, improve bone health, and possibly reduce the risk of cancer. Lately, turmeric has come to the forefront of therapeutics for the role it plays in benefitting both general mental health and mood—especially anxiety.
Anxiety, or any other kind of stress, can tax agni (the digestive fire). If agni is weak, we are sure to suffer all kinds of imbalances. Fortunately, turmeric kindles the digestive fire. This action is known as “agni dīpana.”
Maintaining good digestive health is a major step in addressing anxiety or any other health concern. Turmeric’s intrinsic nature enables it to elevate mood and increase cognitive function.
Plus many drink this golden milk as a soothing bedtime beverage to get good sleep.
Here are 9 science-based benefits of golden milk
1) Golden milk is rich in antioxidants: The antioxidants protect cells from damage, oxidative stress, fight off disease and infections and contribute to your overall health.
2) Help reduce inflammation and joint pain: Turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon, the main ingredients in golden milk, have strong anti-inflammatory properties that may reduce inflammation and joint pain.
3) Lowers blood sugar levels and also the risk of heart diseases: Turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon — the main ingredients in golden milk — all have properties that may lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease and benefit heart function.
4) May help fight cancer: Studies indicate that turmeric may offer some protection against cancer.
5) Helps improve memory and brain function: Some ingredients in golden milk may help preserve memory and reduce the decline in brain function from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
6) Helps in improving mood and depression: Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, may help reduce symptoms of depression.
7) Improves digestion: Ginger and turmeric, two ingredients in golden milk, may help relieve indigestion. Turmeric may also help relieve symptoms in people with ulcerative colitis.
8) Cow’s milk rich in Calcium and Vitamin D contributes to stronger bones: Golden milk can be rich in calcium and vitamin D depending on the milk you use. Both of these nutrients contribute to a strong skeleton, reducing your risk of bone diseases, such as osteopenia and osteoporosis.
9) Improves immunity and protects you against infections: The ingredients used to make golden milk have antibacterial and antiviral properties which may protect your body from infections. Their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may strengthen your immune system as well.
How to get the most out of Golden Milk
Studies say that it's difficult for our bloodstream to absorb turmeric and completely reap the benefits. That's because most of the curcumin in turmeric gets metabolized before our bodies can absorb it. There are, however, two primary ingredients that can increase turmeric's absorption and bioavailability, both of which are included in this recipe.
1) Black pepper: Piperine, an alkaloid present in black pepper, enhances the bioavailability of turmeric. Studies have shown that combining just a little black pepper with turmeric can boost blood levels of curcumin by up to 2,000%!
2) Fat: Turmeric or curcumin is fat-soluble (in contrast, it has low solubility in water), so adding a healthy source of fat (such as coconut oil or ghee) allows the curcumin to be directly absorbed into the bloodstream.
Try this simple vegan Golden Milk recipe next time you want a warm hug in a mug.
Regular Golden Milk
- 1 1/2 cups of whole milk, preferably organic, without added preservatives
- 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (turmeric powder)
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger (ginger powder)
- 1 whole cinnamon stick (or 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom, or 2-3 cardamom pods, crushed (optional)
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp sweetener of choice (i.e. maple syrup, honey or jaggery)
Vegan Golden Milk (using non-dairy milk)
- 1 1/2 cups light coconut milk, preferably organic, without added preservatives OR
- 1 1/2 cups of plain unsweetened almond milk or cashew milk, preferably organic, without added preservatives
- 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 whole cinnamon stick (or 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom, or 2-3 cardamom pods, crushed (optional)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp sweetener of choice (i.e. maple syrup or jaggery)
Instructions
Warm milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Add turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and cardamom (if using). Stir until well combined. If you are new to turmeric, start with a lower quantity and gradually increase as you develop a taste for it.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, but do not boil. Allow simmering for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until smooth, hot, fragrant, and flavorful.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Strain the golden milk over a fine-mesh sieve into your favorite mug. Discard the solids. When slightly cooled, stir the ghee (or coconut oil) and sweetener of your choice (if using) into the milk. If you use honey as a sweetener, make sure that you don’t heat honey: heated honey is considered toxic in Ayurveda.
Drink while it is still warm.
Enjoy Golden Milk either in the morning or at night before going to bed. It is also a great beverage to enjoy along with friends and guests, especially on those cold winter evenings.
For a different kind of glow, I would like to invite you to attend Beyond Breath, a free breath and meditation session to learn about SKY Breath Meditation.
Sejal Shah, E-YRT 500 Sri Sri Yoga Teacher, YACEP, Meditation Teacher, Happiness expert, NYU Post Graduate Medical School approved Yoga-CME retreat facilitator, Mind-Body Wellness Writer, Homeopath. She can be followed on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
