The latest buzzworthy trend in healthy drinks has to be golden milk. Despite its surge in popularity, Haldi Doodh (translation: turmeric milk) has been used as a medicinal drink in India for centuries. Simple to make, the basic recipe [1] of milk, turmeric, ginger, coconut oil, and pepper has much more going for it than just a pretty hue and creamy richness. It's made with ingredients that help with inflammation, bloating, and weight loss. If you're still not convinced to mix the elixir up, here are a few reasons to consider having it as a nightcap tonight.
- Better digestion: Think of golden milk as nature's Pepto-Bismol, except with a much prettier color! Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries because of its ability to help the body in major ways. One such benefit? Better digestion. Multiple studies have shown turmeric to help fight gas, bloat, and indigestion. Germany has even gone so far as recommending turmeric as a safe herbal treatment for digestive woes [2]. Ginger, another common ingredient in golden milk, is great at fighting nausea and soothing stomachaches [3].
- Happier muscles: If a glass of warm turmeric milk doesn't sounds appealing to you, try it iced [4], or even better — use it as the base for a post-workout smoothie [5]. As a natural anti-inflammatory, turmeric can relieve joint and muscle pain and even help with headaches. In some studies, turmeric offered similar relief to ibuprofen [6]. It also may be the perfect drink to have after an intense gym session; in a small 2015 study, turmeric helped in combating delayed onset muscle soreness [7] (DOMS), and ginger has also shown to be effective in preventing muscle soreness [8] — less pain, more gain!
- A shield against colds and flu: Besides helping soothe a sore throat, ginger has long been used as a cold remedy in naturopathy, and for good reason. The spicy root has antimicrobial properties [9] that help protect the body from respiratory infections.
- Weight-loss support: While more research has to be done in this area, turmeric does show some promise when it comes to encouraging weight loss. In two separate studies, the spice was shown to reduce the growth of fat cells in mice [10] and also increase metabolism [11].
- A boost in good cholesterol: The raw coconut oil often used in golden milk has been shown to help raise good cholesterol [12] in the body. It's even been shown to combat tooth decay [13]!
While we always recommend trying golden milk warm, you can also enjoy it iced, blended up in a smoothie, or even as the base for a bowl of overnight oats.