Turmeric is an ubiquitous indian spice and a common ingredient of pre-mixed curry or masala powders. Turmeric (haldi, Konkani; haridra, Sanskrit) is also an essential component of fish marinade.
While I take for granted the turmeric used in cooking, I distinctly remember my grandma preparing scalding hot, turmeric milk whenever we had a sore throat or cold. And grandma admonished us to sip it hot, letting it course its way down the back of our throats. Haaiiii! She had alchemized this common root, to a piping hot, golden elixir, which not only got us back to school the next day (unfortunately), but also back on the playground (v good). Something magical about that turmeric milk! If she only knew!
A few months ago when experimenting in the kitchen I had cut my palm. Having seen my aunts and mother for ages in the kitchen, I instinctively reached for the turmeric powder and dabbed it in the cut stanching the blood and forming a clot. Now scientists tell us that turmeric is anti-bacterial – preventing infection and also helping heal the wound! Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric is responsible for its medicinal activity and pigmentation.
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Ensconced in multimillion dollar laboratories, western scientists are slowly catching up to what our grandmothers, armed with stone mortar and pestles have known for millennia. Something magical about that turmeric!
Scientists now tell us that curcumin is anti-inflammatory, in that it can reduce soreness and fever, much like tylenol or paracetamol. And it acts like those latest anti-inflammatory drugs called cox-2 inhibitors: Celecoxib and Vioxx. Both of these medicines have serious side effects and vioxx has been withdrawn by the FDA for safety reasons. On the other hand, turmeric as a dietary constituent is safe and well tolerated!
A host of scientific investigations have also looked at the ability of curcumin to fight cancer. Curcumin kills several types of cancer cells in the laboratory. In animals, curcumin prevents or slows cancer in the skin, breast, liver, fore-stomach, duodenum and colon. Curcumin also has anti-angiogenic properties; translation: curcumin seriously slows new blood vessel formation in tumors, causes asphyxiation of tumors and thus preventing their growth and metastases.
Without turning this into a scientific review paper, I hope you are convinced that turmeric is really good for you. Daily consumption of dietary turmeric in the form of added spices, or this turmeric milk can have near magical properties.
No wonder that in Hindu pujas, devas (Gods as crude approximation) and young brides are doused in turmeric powder!
Here is a really simple recipe for the magical turmeric milk (haldi dudh, in konkani). At the first signs of a sore throat, or feverishness, sip this hot milk drink and call it a night! Wake up fresh and ready to take on the world!
When you do try this recipe, I’d love to hear your experience.
Note: Ginger (adrak, Sanskrit) used in this recipe is well recognized in Ayurvedic and western medicine as having anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. It is widely used to prevent motion sickness, to prevent nausea and most importantly suppresses cough. More on that in another recipe.
Recipe:
- In a mug, place 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- Add a quarter cup water and twirl to mix in turmeric
- Top off with milk. You can also skip the milk and do this in water!
- Microwave ~ 2 min (depends on power rating of your microwave) bringing milk nearly to a boil)
- Leave milk in the microwave for ~ 5 min, allowing the active ingredients of ginger and turmeric to seep into the milk
- Add a teaspoon of jaggery. Alternately use honey, cane or regular sugar to taste. Mix well and reheat milk
- Spoon out and discard ginger bits; turmeric settles to the bottom. If it bothers you, you can strain
- Sip this very hot and feel the heat course over your gullet
- Off to bed! Awake refreshed and energized!
Update: Scientists have demonstrated that when curcumin is ingested along with a peppercorn extract, the ability of our body to absorb and utilize curcumin increases dramatically, upto 2000%. Thus the indian tradition of including peppercorn in this home remedy (as commented by readers) has a basis in science as well.
Selected science articles for further enlightenment (or treat insomnia):
- Sharma and others, Curcumin: The story so far, European Journal of Cancer (2005) (PDF).
- Villengas and others, New mechanisms and therapeutic potential of curcumin for colorectal cancer, Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (2008) (PDF).
- Goel and others, Specific inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) expression by dietary curcumiin in HT-29 human colon cancer cells, Cancer Letters (2001) (PDF).
- Tiwari, Ayurveda: Secrets of Healing, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, India (1995)
Marathoner, Professor, Author, Citizen Journalist, Fitness Nut, Foodie, Meera's father, Hindu, Scientist, Photographer.
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Hi arun
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Will this assist in preventing my keloid from spreading on my chest, also I have vitiligo. The doctors prescribed dovate cream but I stopped because I can taste it when I apply it ! It makes me dizzy. Would appreciate your help. Thank you, Heidi
Thank you Heidi.
You can try applying a simple turmeric paste (mix turmeric powder in a tiny bit of water). It is currently used by indian women for healthy skin. I think this is primarily because of its antiseptic effects. I am not sure if it will work on keloids, but there is no harm in trying.
But it would have helped by applying turmeric when the skin was originally healing.
Best to you.
Arun
Just discovered, made & sipping! This is YUM, & if it cures my sore throat, sinusitis & overwhelming fatigue I’ll be v happy but is sooooo tasty, I’d make this as a treat on a cold Scottish day! Thanks!!
Thank you Mary for that enthusiastic support. And glad it had a magical effect on you. Yaay!
A
I am 52 years old woman and drinking always one big glass of milk with 1/2 tea spoon of turmerik power since was 25 year old and its been my long time experience that it helps to my skin and my skin gets glow reason for that turmerik make pore our blood and all blood related problem, almost didnot get cold in long experience and many more benifits. I like your article !!!
I gave this to my husband last night but he couldn’t cope with the ginger component. My daughter made it for him this morning without the ginger and he said it tasted better for him. Is it just as good for you without the ginger??
This looks fantastically soothing and good for you! I would heat it over the stove though, as to not damage the nutritional content of those good ingredients!
Please dont use a microwave oven. These things kill so many good things in our food. A oven proof glass saucepan is much better on a cook-top. Thanks for the recipe !
Thank you SO much! I’m going to make some and crunch up the ginger too. I just read an article previously (that’s why I googled curcumin) that says it reverses aneurisms. It is a scientific paper. It equates curcumin and tumeric the same. Do you agree they are the sams?
Curcumin is the active ingredient extracted from the turmeric root.
Scientists always love to use the active ingredient as it is easier to standardize and control.
But I always go for the natural stuff.
To your health,
Arun
Thx Arun…Narration is simply superb..
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.
A
your microwaving this…..seriously? pretty counteractive….
Yes; certainly not ideal, but better than gulping viscous pink syrup or antibiotics.
Still works fabulously.
For our daughter, we always do it on the stove top.
Arun
I completely agree, The recipe is wonderful and I will be making it for my boys tonight, Thank you!! but I STRONGLY suggest, encourage and wish that the advice given didnt tell people to use a microwave, microwaves nuke your food and kill all nutrients, vitamins and life force that is in the food…. Microwaving your medicine is killing it… This is so easy to make on a stove top there is no reason to suggest a microwave….
The great thing about curcumin is that it helps the immune system and also hastens the healing ability of the body.
Absolutely yes. Thank you for sharing that and sorry for the delay in replying.
Arun
I am using turmeric gingel milk from last 10 days inplace of coffee flavoured milk and im feeling better with this recipie..from cold and cough. Like to know more..if any side effects comes at later stage..becos ginger and turmeric both are warm in nature..pls tell me.
If you can tolerate drinking the turmeric ginger milk, then you are likely not overdoing it.
But generally, moderation is a good thing.
We use turmeric in our cooking every day; I add ginger to my chai every morning. There are no known side effects from drinking this.
But scientifically, if you take pills which have turmeric extract, then there is a possibility of overdoing it.
To your health.
Arun
I just got done taking milk/honey/turmeric elixirs over the past week while treating a staph infection at home without meds. Everytime I drank it, I could feel myself have a little hotflash, as if my body was suddenly amped up for immune functions. I managed to self-treat a deep staph boil that will probably need to be cut out someday but not this month.
I take it reguarly now just for the heck of it.
ThanKs a Lot ! For sharing
Great Post! I am glad people start appreciating our ancestor’s unconventional wisdom.
Thx, Arun
I always use curcumin in my rice diet, Curcumin has lots of health benefits mainly in enhancing wound healing.
Kindest regards
Turmeric is POWERFUL IF you body absorbs it. Since it is fat soluble, you should NOT use water or nonfat milk. You need a little fat to absorb it fully. Adding a little black pepper also increases absorption.
That is not completely correct. Turmeric is soluble in water, but at a lower rate. So certainly mixing it in milk or anything else does help its bioavailability. And yes, adding black pepper definitely enhances its bioavailability.
Also, even if you take the turmeric in water, in the stomach it will bind with other proteins making it more bioavailable.
Lastly, in addition to the Turmeric milk recipe given here, turmeric is routinely added to many dishes, where it will easily bind to protein and make itself available to the body.
Best
Arun
Can you just heat up almond milk in the microwave and then add a teaspoon of just turmeric powder? I don’t have ginger or any of the other ingredients such as the peppercorn atm, BUT will DEFFIDENTLY purchase soon.
btw, that milkshake sounds amazing!!!!!!
Ofcourse you can. I am not sure how easily it will mix, so … add some turmeric powder in a cup, add about half a cup of the almond milk, heat, stir till all the turmeric is mixed, add the remaining almond milk. That’s it.
BTW, peppercorn is simply the crushed black pepper you see available in tiny sachets in fast food places.
To you health.
Arun
Hi Samantha. Somehow your email popped up on my computer. Anyway this is an interesting drink for bedtime. I would not microwave the milk due to some research I just did. “According to the information it shows that microwave disinfection mainly from the thermal effects and biological effects. Thermal effect of bacterial cells can heat denatured protein coagulation, resulting in the death of bacteria. If using microwave for heating milk for too long, it will make the protein in milk by high-temperature role, by the sol-gel state into a state, resulting in the sediment, thereby affecting the quality of dairy products. Heating the milk longer and the higher the temperature, causes the more serious loss of nutrients, mainly vitamins, vitamin C loss is one of the most powerful, followed by lactose”
I make a drink that is 1 cup Lactaid milk ( no lactose) 3 cups Almond or soy 1/4 teasp cinnamon, 1/2 teasp Turmeric, 1/2 teasp Ginger 1 or 2 teasp local honey. I dissolve the honey and herbs in warm water and then add the milks. Otherwise the honey solidifies from the cold milk and it takes longer to blend. I am going to try the warm milk one tonight.
Julie Jarrett
I make a delicious milkshake with Almond Milk 4 cups, Lactaid milk (lactose free milk)1 cup, Cinnamon 1/2 teasp, Tumeric 1 teasp., and local honey 2 teasps. If you want to try it you can reduce the ingredients to make 1 cup.
Hmmm! Thanks for sharing that.
Arun
Glad to see your recipe for Turmeric MIlk! Turmeric is indeed magical, made it this week when I was getting the first onset of a scratch in my throat…and like always it’s gone! Indeed the black peppercorn is a great addition.
Yaay! Glad it worked great for you, Preena.
Arun