Anti-inflammatory Golden Turmeric Milk 

As some of you may already know, I’ve been suffering with eczema, IBS, anxiety and low mood for many years (click here to find out more). My immune system seems to be very active and so I have a lot of inflammation in my body. Chronic inflammation is bad news as it’s the precursor to many chronic diseases, which is worrying, so I try to eat as many anti-inflammatory foods as possible. Turmeric being one of them. 

Anti-inflammatory Golden Turmeric MilkTurmeric is said to be one of the best natural anti-inflammatory agents out there, definitely something to include in the diet, especially if you have any kind of auto-immune conditions and allergies. 

When it comes to making anti-inflammatory golden turmeric milk, there are a couple of important additions that will help ensure you get the most out of the amazing ingredient that is turmeric:

  1. Use black pepper – it increases the bioavailability of curcumin, the active compound in turmeric*. 
  2. Add fats – consuming a small amount of fat at the same time as turmeric also increase its bioavailability. The fat allows the turmeric to be directly absorbed into the blood stream, in effect bypassing the liver*. 

As well as being anti-inflammatory, turmeric has other benefits, like being linked to a decrease in joint swelling and stiffness. One research (although fairly small), showed that consuming turmeric improved Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms**.  It also has a chemopreventive property and can potentially reduce the risk of cancer***. 

vegan Anti-inflammatory Golden Turmeric Milk The other great thing about turmeric is that it offers all these benefits without having any known side effects. Something that cannot be said about many drugs and medications.

I’m not in any way implying that turmeric is a cure and prevention for all diseases, but there is no question that adding it to our diets will only benefit our health. 

Plus, turmeric milk is super delicious and comforting ? and has the most beautiful golden tone, hence the name golden milk. 

I created this recipe for East End Foods using their turmeric powder. They only use the finest spices from around the world, store them under climate controlled conditions and re-clean them using the very latest technology to help retain their purity, fresh aroma and flavour.

I’ve said this before, but I always buy my spices from the ‘world food’ section in the supermarket. They’re much cheaper and I feel the quality is so much better compared to those small jars of herbs and spices you get in the spice aisle. You can also get bigger packs meaning you don’t have to add them onto your shopping list as often. That’s super important for someone like me who uses them on the daily! 

Anti-inflammatory Golden Turmeric Milk

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 cups (470ml) milk of choice – I like to use soy or hemp milk for creaminess
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
1/2 tsp East End Foods cinnamon
1/2 tsp East End Foods turmeric
1/8-1/4 tsp East End Foods black pepper
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tbsp coconut sugar, or sweetener of choice. Use more if you like it sweeter

Method:

Add all the ingredients to a saucepan. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 5 minutes. 
Strain into glasses and enjoy! 

Thanks to East End Foods for sponsoring this post. Commissioned posts is how I’m able to continue working on the blog and creating recipes and recipe videos for you. As always, all opinions are my own.

* https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17999464

**http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.4639/abstract;jsessionid=542A42DAB7A36BA2C62D62C591249AE0.f02t01

***https://www.thieme-connect.com/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-2006-957450