Something about this time of year always has me in the mood for a detox. Perhaps it’s the changing season, or maybe it’s just one too many pieces of pie, but cold weather makes me want to hunker down and take care of myself a little better. And one of my favorite ways to kick off the season is by switching out my daily cup of coffee in favor of a warm, cleansing turmeric latte.
What Is a Turmeric Latte?
Turmeric lattes, often referred to as golden milk or turmeric tea, are a caffeine-free drink made from warm, frothed nut or soy milk and turmeric. They can either be made plain with just nut milk and turmeric or “dirty” with added ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper.
Benefits of a Turmeric Latte
I often turn to turmeric lattes to help lessen the effects of those seasonal sugary indulgences. Not only is turmeric completely festive—thanks to its rich, golden color—but it’s perfect for detoxing the body, balancing blood sugar, and mediating some of the inflammatory effects of a high-fat diet [source] (always a must after holiday festivities). And while you’re enjoying a warm, soothing latte why not try a turmeric face mask?
Turmeric aids in detoxification
Turmeric works as a well-known liver cleanser, helping to purify and tone the liver so it can better expel chemicals from the body and lessen the load on the body’s other detoxification pathways. Some recent evidence indicates that increased turmeric intake has anti-cancer effects [source], especially for bladder, stomach, cervical [source], colon cancers [source].
Turmeric calms chronic inflammation
Turmeric has long been touted as a potent anti-inflammatory, helping to calm the chronic inflammation at the root of everything from cancer to asthma to diabetes [source]. Thanks to the active ingredient curcumin, turmeric lattes offer a healthy alternative to coffee that can help reduce the inflammatory effects of sugar and junk food.
Turmeric heals digestion
Not only does turmeric decrease inflammation in the digestive tract, but it also encourages the gallbladder to produce more bile, which helps with the digestion of food [source]. Additionally, it increases vitamin and mineral absorption in the intestines and promotes healthy gut flora.
Chai Turmeric Latte Recipe – 3 Ways
1. Caffeine-Free Latte
Add a dash of chai spice mix plus a heaping teaspoon of turmeric powder to get the chai latte flavor but with the healing benefits of turmeric. Find the full recipe below.
—1 cup unsweetened plant milk
—1 teaspoon organic ground turmeric
—1/2 teaspoon chai spice mix
—1 teaspoon honey
—Pinch of black pepper
Combine the milk with 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder and 1/2 teaspoon of chai spice mix. Let the mixture simmer until the milk is hot, and then whisk until the milk becomes nice and frothy.
2. Turmeric Black Tea Latte
Give your latte a boost of caffeine with black tea, which is traditionally used when making chai tea.
—1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
—1 cup water + 1 black tea bag
—1 teaspoon organic ground turmeric
—1/2 teaspoon chai spice mix
—2 teaspoon turbinado sugar
—Pinch of black pepper
Simmer the water and 1 black tea bag with the remaining ingredients until hot. Whisk the milk until frothy, and then spoon it over the drink.
3. Turmeric Matcha Latte
You can also add a touch of turmeric to your daily matcha latte by combining matcha powder and ground turmeric.
—1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
—2 teaspoon matcha powder
—1 teaspoon organic ground turmeric
—1/2 teaspoon chai spice mix
—1 tablespoon honey
—Pinch of black pepper
Simmer 1/2 cup of milk and the remaining ingredients until hot. Whisk the remaining milk until frothy, and then spoon it over the drink.
Bonus: you can try this Chai Spiced Cashew Milk if you don’t feel like turmeric!
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Chai-Spiced Turmeric Latte
Equipment
- saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup plant-based milk
- 1/2 teaspoon chai spice mix
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon raw honey
- 1 pinch black pepper
Instructions
- To make your own chai spice mix, combine 1 teaspoon each cardamom, allspice, and ground cloves with 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 3 teaspoons powdered ginger in a glass jar. Give it a good shake to mix everything together.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the milk with 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder and 1/2 teaspoon of the chai spice mix. Whisk to remove any lumps, and let it simmer for about a minute until the milk becomes nice and frothy.
- Remove it from the heat and pour into a mug. Sweeten it with raw honey, and sprinkle with extra turmeric and a pinch of black pepper.
Notes
References:
1. Xu XY, et al. Bioactivity, health benefits, and related molecular mechanisms of curcumin: current progress, challenges, and perspectives. Nutrients. 2018.
2. Kunnumakkara AB, et al. Curcumin, the golden nutraceutical: multitargeting for multiple chronic diseases. Br J Pharmacol. 2017.
3. Park J, et al. Anti-carcinogenic properties of curcumin on colorectal cancer. World J Gastrointest Oncol. 2010.
4. Aggarwal BB, et al. Potential therapeutic effects of curcumin, the anti-inflammatory agent, against neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2010.
5. Dulbecco P, et al. Therapeutic potential of curcumin in digestive diseases. World J Gastroenterol. 2013.
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I think it's just great!! Incredible work!!