Over the last couple of years a lot of us went a little crazy over Turmeric.
But why?
Turmeric has a very long history in medicinal use, dating back as far as 4000 years ago. In Southeast Asia it's used as a spice as well as in religious ceremonies. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin which has very strong antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties. It's bright orange colour brightens up my drinks every day since I discovered all the powerful properties of it.
The main health benefits of curcumin are (click on each to be re directed to the relevant study!):
- Helps with brain function
- May lower risks of heart disease
- May be useful in treating and preventing Alzheimer's Disease
- Great benefits against depression
Now how to take curcumin? There is several ways.
Turmeric is a great source however has a low content of curcumin, only about 3% by weight. Most of the studies which proved the benefits above used dosages that usually exceeded 1g per day so as you can imagine it would be challenging to get this sort of level from turmeric only but you can also use turmeric supplements.
I should mention that curcumin is poorly absorbed into our bloodstream however it helps to consume it with black pepper which contains piperine.
Piperine is a natural substance that enhances the absorption of curcumin by 2000%. It is also worth mentioning that curcumin is fat soluble, so it may be a good idea to take it with some sort of oil!
To enhance the absorption or curcumin from turmeric spice, I came up with the best and the most tasty recipe for a Bulletproof Turmeric Latte which has been my daily routine for few weeks now!
Every person I share it with, falls in love with it and I hope you will too!
Recipe
Ingredients:
250 ml of plant based milk (I prefer hemp, oat or soy milk as they are creamier)
1 tsp of organic turmeric powder
3-4 dates (or fruit syrup of your choice)
1 tsp of organic coconut oil
large pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Warm up the milk to your desired temperature (I usually pop it in the microwave for couple of minutes). Add the milk and rest of the ingredients into a blender and whizz it up for 20-30 seconds or until smooth. If you are using a syrup instead of dates, you can just shake the ingredients in a protein shaker.
Pour it into your favourite mug and enjoy ideally alongside your favourite book :)
I hope you will enjoy this recipe. If you like it, please share it!
As always, with good vibes and gratitude
Mags x