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Turmeric Coffee: 7 Benefits and Recipes

Turmeric Coffee: 7 Benefits and Recipes

Clark Clark
10 minute read

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Coffee already boasts loads of health benefits on its own, but that hasn’t stopped coffee lovers from adding turmeric to their morning cups for an even healthier brew.

Turmeric is an Indian spice that’s often considered a superfood. It’s full of nutrients and antioxidants proven to be effective for a variety of health conditions and overall wellness effects. 

If you’re looking to enhance your coffee, turmeric coffee is an easy way to do it.

Is turmeric good in coffee? Turmeric is good in coffee as a flavor enhancer; plus, it offers quite a few health benefits on top of the added spice notes.

Ready to try out healthy golden milk turmeric coffee for yourself? Check out Golden Ratio’s low-acid coffee with turmeric, vanilla, and black pepper for a super boost to your morning routine.

What is turmeric coffee?

At its simplest, turmeric coffee is black coffee with turmeric powder or turmeric extract to get the health benefits of the spice.

To get the most out of turmeric in your coffee, make sure to use black pepper, too. 

Piperine, the primary compound in black pepper, increases turmeric absorption in the body by up to 2,000%!

Can I sprinkle turmeric in my coffee? A sprinkle of turmeric in your coffee adds a bit of spice to your cup. Most who use turmeric in their coffee more regularly mix it with other ingredients because it can be a little overpowering. 

A turmeric latte, or golden milk latte, has become the most popular preparation of turmeric coffee. It’s a play on turmeric milk, a hot milk drink popular in Indian culture, with the addition of your favorite coffee.

Best Golden Milk Latte Recipe

You’re most likely to see turmeric as a golden milk latte in coffee shops. It’s easy enough to make at home, though, with a few key ingredients.

Your prep time for this turmeric coffee recipe should only be a few minutes, or as long as it takes for you to stir everything up and enjoy. This recipe from the Feel Good Foodie serves up 2 perfect cups of coffee.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups almond milk, coconut milk, or other plant-based milk
  • 1 shot espresso or 2 ounces of your favorite regular coffee (our original gold would be delicious here)
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons honey (or your favorite natural sweetener)
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • Pinch of cayenne
  • Pinch of black pepper (not in the original recipe)
  • Hemp seeds (optional)

Steps:

  1. Heat your milk to your desired temperature.
  2. Add your favorite coffee.
  3. Stir in all of your spices except for the cinnamon and whisk to combine.
  4. Sprinkle the cinnamon and hemp seeds (if using) on top as a garnish.
  5. Drink warm!

If you want to play around with the flavors, many recipes call for a dash of vanilla extract or other added spices. A sprinkle of black pepper can help your body absorb turmeric’s positive health effects. 

You don't need to serve your turmeric as a golden milk latte, either. If you want more flavor from your favorite coffee beans, make it more of a coffee-based drink rather than a hot milk. 

Turmeric works in coffee when it’s properly dissolved. A pinch to about ½ teaspoon of turmeric is typically enough for a cup of turmeric coffee. Any more than that, and the turmeric may overpower other flavors and become more difficult to dissolve.

How does coffee affect curcumin absorption?

We’ll go into all of the benefits of turmeric shortly, but it’s important to note one potential drawback of this golden spice when it’s added to coffee. The natural acids in coffee can make it difficult for the spice to dissolve, affecting the solubility of a compound in turmeric.

That compound is curcumin, found in spices like ginger and turmeric. It’s what’s responsible for most of the positive health benefits of turmeric, so it’s crucial to give it the best chance at absorption. 

Thankfully, there are ways to help your body absorb curcumin:

  • Add a dash of black pepper to your coffee. Black pepper contains piperine, a compound that helps your body absorb curcumin. You don’t have to add much, and many turmeric coffee recipes already include it.
  • Add a little fat. Curcumin is fat-soluble. That means it dissolves better when combined with fats. Adding a little fat in the form of milk or creamer to your coffee may help your body absorb it. Home chefs like adding coconut oil to recipes that include turmeric.
  • Brew your coffee hot.Adding turmeric to hot beverages like freshly brewed hot coffee helps curcumin dissolve more efficiently. That makes it less likely you’ll enjoy all of the positive health effects in a cold brew or iced latte.

Is it healthy to drink turmeric every day?It is healthy to drink turmeric daily in small doses. It doesn’t come with a risk of “overdosing” as many dietary supplements might — it’s just a powerful little spice!

Large doses of turmeric can cause digestive issues if your body isn’t used to it, so keep that in mind if you’re drinking coffee on an empty stomach (like if you’re intermittent fasting). If you’re just starting out with turmeric, a low-acid coffee that’s gentler on digestion is a good choice. 

7 Turmeric Coffee Benefits

Turmeric adds quite a bit of flavor to coffee, but the big reasons cafes and coffee lovers add turmeric to their coffee are the health benefits.

What does turmeric in coffee do?Turmeric in coffee adds a dose of healthy antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that support a variety of positive health outcomes. Paired with healthy coffee, turmeric enhances many of the existing benefits of caffeine and coffee.

1. Reduces Chronic Inflammation

Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, is a known anti-inflammatory. This is one reason why it has so much potential in treating chronic conditions and preventing various illnesses. 

Studies have found a positive link between curcumin and the treatment of certain cancers, arthritis, pancreatitis, and inflammatory bowel disease. That’s good news for coffee lovers who may be feeling some of the effects of coffee on IBS and other gut concerns.

Those anti-inflammatory properties have been linked to curcumin’s potential in treating, or even preventing, Alzheimer’s disease and early cognitive decline. That makes it a popular supplement in anti-aging remedies.

Read More:Does coffee stunt your growth?

2. Gives You a Nutritional Boost

Turmeric is rich in nutrients you don’t usually see in coffee additives. Each serving includes vitamins and minerals like calcium, potassium, vitamin C, magnesium, and iron. 

That nutritional profile is why turmeric is such a powerhouse. Its accessibility as a powder that’s easy enough to mix into that morning cup of coffee makes it an easy add-on to a healthier diet.

3. Lowers Risk of Heart Disease

Curcumin offers a protective effect for your heart. It reduces inflammation that can cause a variety of cardiovascular conditions, and can reduce cholesterol levels that can make those conditions worse.

There’s also some evidence that curcumin can be part of a successful treatment plan for some heart conditions, like arrhythmias or myopathies that can cause a weakened heart muscle. 

Those studies showed particularly promising results in adults with heart conditions related to their diabetes diagnoses.

4. Increases Antioxidant Activity

Curcumin doesn’t just act as a powerful antioxidant; it may even increase the antioxidant activity of other compounds in the body, fighting against free radicals on multiple fronts.

Antioxidants, on the whole, can reduce oxidative stress in the body. They’re an essential component in the fight against rapid aging, cognitive decline, and general age-related health decline.

5. Supports Weight Loss

The caffeine in coffee already supports weight loss. Adding turmeric to that espresso may help support your weight loss and keep your weight at a healthy level.

Researchers are still investigating how exactly turmeric supports weight control, but so far, studies point to curcumin’s anti-inflammatory effects. 

Curcumin may suppress inflammatory markers that show up in those struggling with metabolic disorders and weight gain. Adding fresh or ground ginger to any mixture with turmeric appears to boost those effects and beat belly bloat and gas.

If you’re feeling some coffee bloat after drinking your coffee, turmeric might help.

Turmeric has also grown in popularity among people on the keto diet, though it does contain some carbohydrates. The superfood’s digestive system support and nutritional value make it a net positive for any diet, including keto.

6. Improves Mood

Studies have shown that curcumin can reduce anxiety in adults and even shorten the length of depressive episodes. Researchers believe it’s thanks to the anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin.

Regular users also report an improved mood after ingesting turmeric.

Since coffee itself can reduce depression symptoms and even decrease suicide risk, turmeric coffee uniquely benefits those with depression.

7. Relieves Pain

Curcumin is known as a natural pain reliever. Turmeric supplements are sometimes used to treat pain caused by inflammation and nerve conditions. Again, that’s thanks to the antioxidant’s anti-inflammatory effects. 

Curcumin can also reduce muscle soreness after exercise and may even improve your athletic performance by reducing your risk of injury after an intense workout. That cup of coffee may then be soothing in more ways than one.

Best Turmeric Coffee

The best turmeric coffee starts with a low-acid coffee that’s already healthier than your average cup. A low-acid coffee doesn’t just reduce your chance of coffee heartburn symptoms; it can result in a gentler cup for those just starting out with turmeric. 

Golden Ratio is a delicious, healthy way to enjoy turmeric coffee. Our golden milk coffee is a perfectly blended mixture of turmeric, black pepper, and vanilla — no recipe required.

Sources

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