Turmeric Golden Milk – Because You Need To Sleep
We all know how important it is to get a good night’s sleep. But sometimes, no matter how tired we are, we just can’t seem to drift off into dreamland.
If you’re struggling to get some shut-eye, there’s one simple remedy that might do the trick: turmeric golden milk.
Sometimes called turmeric latte, or moon milk, this delicious warm drink is not only incredibly calming and soothing, but it’s also packed with nutrients that are great for your health.
Here’s why turmeric golden milk is one of the best drinks you can have before bed.
Why Turmeric Golden Milk Is So Good For Sleep
Turmeric golden milk contains a number of ingredients that are known to help people fall asleep.
For example, turmeric is the go-to source for curcumin, a natural antioxidant¹ and anti-inflammatory² agent.
As a bonus, it’s also been shown to improve cognitive function³!
It helps ease symptoms of depression⁴ and anxiety⁵, both of which are closely related to insomnia.
In addition, milk is an excellent source of tryptophan, so much so that webmd actually states it’s one of the largest sources of tryptophan.
By the way, tryptophan is an amino acid that helps your body produce serotonin—a chemical that plays a role in regulating your sleep cycle. We’ve covered why it’s so important for sleep in our journal entry about the sleep enhancing benefits of tart cherry juice.
So it turns out that drinking a glass of milk before bed does actually help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly through the night.
Finally, adding a pinch of black pepper to your turmeric golden milk will help increase the absorption of the curcumin into your system⁶. This means that you’ll actually get this drink’s benefits, including its calming effect.
All of these ingredients work together to help you wind down at the end of the day and prepare for a restful night’s sleep.
How to Make Turmeric Golden Milk
Golden milk is a traditional Indian drink with many benefits and is actually pretty easy to make.
There lots of ways to prepare golden milk and you’re free to experiment and build on the basic ingredients. Thankfully, most of these items are pantry staples so there’s no need to rush to a specialist store if you’re craving a cupful.
Golden Milk Base
- paste or powdered turmeric (surprising, I know 😄)
- milk or a plant based alternative (the creamier the better)
- black pepper (freshly cracked)
- honey (or your preferred way to sweeten drinks)
Pop these in a pot and heat until the mixture is warm, but don’t not too hot, especially f you’re using raw organic honey. In that case, you’re best off adding it just before drinking your freshly made sleep-time potion.
But that’s it! Pour your comforting golden milk in your favorite cup and enjoy!
Again, there’s so many ways to enjoy this deliciously smooth drink. Some people like to add other spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger to their golden milk and there’s a ton of vegan recipes out there as well.
Regardless of how it is enjoyed, golden milk is a heavenly way to wrap up your evenings so check out the tasty recipes below to get inspired!
Classically Delicious – Turmeric Latte
This video recipe was shared by Sapana of real+vibrant whose mom would make it as she was growing up.
Sapana adds cinnamon and honey to the base ingredients and uses a milk frother to give this golden milk a tastefully foamy boost.
While the rose petal garnish is optional, it is highly recommended. 🥰
Delightfully Vegan – Turmeric And Chamomile Moon Milk
This dairy-free option was created by Jillian from plantandsoul.
It’s quick, easy and will have you sleeping in no time.
She’s even added the insomnia busting power of chamomile to make it the drink of choice for those pre-interview nights when you just can’t seem to fall asleep
Wrapping Things Up
There’s no doubt about it, getting a good night’s sleep is essential for our overall health and well-being. So if you’re having trouble nodding off, reach for a cup of turmeric golden milk.
This delicious warm drink is not only incredibly calming and relaxing, but it’s also packed with nutrients that are great for your health.
Why not give it a try tonight? You just might be surprised at how well it works.
Sources:
Pulido-Moran, M., Moreno-Fernandez, J., Ramirez-Tortosa, C., & Ramirez-Tortosa, M. (2016). Curcumin and Health. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 21(3), 264. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules21030264
Peng, Y., Ao, M., Dong, B., Jiang, Y., Yu, L., Chen, Z., Hu, C., & Xu, R. (2021). Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Curcumin in the Inflammatory Diseases: Status, Limitations and Countermeasures. Drug design, development and therapy, 15, 4503–4525. https://doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S327378
Poulose, S. M., Miller, M. G., Scott, T., & Shukitt-Hale, B. (2017). Nutritional Factors Affecting Adult Neurogenesis and Cognitive Function. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 8(6), 804–811. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.117.016261
Fusar-Poli, L., Vozza, L., Gabbiadini, A., Vanella, A., Concas, I., Tinacci, S., Petralia, A., Signorelli, M. S., & Aguglia, E. (2020). Curcumin for depression: a meta-analysis. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 60(15), 2643–2653. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2019.1653260
Aubry, A. V., Khandaker, H., Ravenelle, R., Grunfeld, I. S., Bonnefil, V., Chan, K. L., Cathomas, F., Liu, J., Schafe, G. E., & Burghardt, N. S. (2019). A diet enriched with curcumin promotes resilience to chronic social defeat stress. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 44(4), 733–742. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-018-0295-2
Dei Cas, M., & Ghidoni, R. (2019). Dietary Curcumin: Correlation between Bioavailability and Health Potential. Nutrients, 11(9), 2147. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11092147
