Have you heard of the spice called turmeric? I’m sure most have, but did you know how beneficial it can be for your health? I’m going to explain all the health benefits of turmeric and why you should try a turmeric latte with coffee in this post.
So what the heck is turmeric? It’s an ancient spice from India that has been in use as a culinary spice for over 4000 years. It’s becoming popular in western culture and mostly because we are becoming more health conscious and people are discovering what turmeric can do.
It has so many health benefits. The Indian culture has been using it as an alternative to medicine for years. It’s known to help with colds, inflammation, pain, and sleeplessness.
Turmeric Benefits
Antioxidants
Turmeric has curcumin in it. This is the main antioxidant in turmeric. When you consume a lot of antioxidants, it can lower your chances of disease and infection by slowing down cell damage. Curcumin acts like a scavenger hunting down free radicals in the body to destroy.
Coffee is super rich in antioxidants. It also has so many other health benefits. Drinking a turmeric latte seems like an even better idea after reading this information.
Anti-Inflammatory
Inflammation is a huge contributing factor to disease. Turmeric lowers histamine and increases the body’s production of cortisone helping it fight inflammation at a cellular level. It suppresses the molecules that are known to cause inflammation.
It’s recommended to check with your physician before taking turmeric as a supplement regularly. They also suggest pregnant women and children avoid it because there aren’t enough studies to help people know how much to use. If you have it once a week in a coffee drink, it should be ok but you should always ask a health professional.
Mood
The curcumin has also been shown to decrease depression and boost your mood. Heck, I’ll take anything that might help with that. I’m a mom to 3 boys, lol.
Immunity
Turmeric is loaded with vitamins and minerals to boost your immunity. Actually, it has more than 300 naturally occurring components that contribute to immunity, the main one being curcumin.
Detox
Turmeric increases the enzymes that detox our blood, making it great for your liver. It is responsible for helping break down toxins as they pass through your liver. It can also bind to heavy metals in your body and help remove them.
Aids Digestion
It stimulates the production of bile to break down fats and help your body digest them. Turmeric also normalizes gastric juices making it good for people with weak stomachs.
Antidepressiant
Turmeric has been shown to be as effective as an antidepressant in decreasing symptoms of depression. There have been several randomized studies showing some promising results.
How to Make it
You can make a turmeric latte with an Aeropress, Nespresso, Espresso machine, or strongly brewed coffee.
Ingredients:
- 1 to 2 shots of espresso or strongly brewed coffee
- 1 cup of lowfat milk or unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 tsp ginger powder
- 1/4 tsp (fresh) turmeric
- 2 tsp of honey or agave
- milk frother
Start by brewing your coffee and adding it to your mug. Put your milk in a saucepan and warm over medium heat, stirring frequently until it almost boils. Remove and pour, then add other ingredients and froth for 15 to 20 seconds. You will have about an inch of foam on the top.
It’s super easy and shouldn’t take longer than 5 minutes to replicate. It will boost that morning coffee by adding a healthy twist. If you prefer it to be sweeter, you can use sweetened almond milk. You will need to experiment until you find out what you prefer.
Go ahead and skip the coffee line, save yourself some money and make one at home!
