Turmeric is used not only in cooking but as a dye for food and fabric (it’s what makes yellow mustard yellow!). The brilliant golden color of the spice comes from curcumin, the main active component of turmeric.
We steer cancer patients away from taking turmeric as a supplement during treatment, as curcumin can potentially interfere with how drugs are metabolized. Adding turmeric to food and beverages hasn’t been shown to be an issue, but it’s best to check with your medical care team to make sure there aren’t any interactions.
A cup of turmeric tea—also known as golden milk—at night can be a relaxing end to a long day and may help to support healthy sleep. Adding black pepper to this drink or using a milk (or mylk) with fat helps with the absorption of the medicinal properties of turmeric. There are many variations of recipes for turmeric tea; this is our favorite.
TURMERIC TEA (GOLDEN MILK)
Makes one serving
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- pinch black pepper
- honey or maple syrup to taste
- freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
- a couple of threads saffron (optional)
Instructions:
- Combine the milk and all spices into a small pan. Do not add sweetener yet.
- Heat mixture over a medium flame while stirring with a whisk.
- When the mixture is warm and steam is rising from the pan, pour into a heat-safe mug and add sweetener to taste.
- If adding saffron, remove golden milk from heat, add the threads and allow the mixture to sit covered for a few minutes before drinking.
- To support sleep, garnish the beverage with a couple of grates of fresh nutmeg (a pinch of ground nutmeg also works).
Sip, relax, and enjoy!
