Boost Immunity with Creamy Golden Milk

Spike your day and uplift your immune system with this delicious 3-minute snack! Turmeric health benefits are widely publicized, and Golden Milk is all the rage. Oh yes, we can guzzle it down up in every flavor. However, turmeric is rather difficult for the body to absorb. Very few people understand how to prepare Golden Milk to optimize absorption. Sadly, the turmeric you’re taking may not benefit you in any way. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, can clear inflammation, pain, and even cancer.

Curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory that may destroy cancer cells and help keep all the organs in balance – if it is absorbed. Quercetin is also a potent immune system builder.

Here are the SECRETS to maximize the benefits of turmeric:

1. ALWAYS use full fat milk, or some fat to promote absorption.
2. Heat your drink. The heat is important for curcumin assimilation.
3. Add some black pepper, which also boosts curcumin absorption
4. Eat turmeric with quercetin-rich foods, such as black tea, green tea, carob, or cocoa powder.

Quercetin is a key to your absorption of curcumin: Quercetin, a flavonoid, is known to inhibit an enzyme that de-activates curcumin. Yay! When you add turmeric to quercetin-rich foods you will increase the absorption of turmeric in the body. Foods rich in iso-quercitrin include: leafy vegetables, broccoli, red onions, peppers, apples, grapes, black tea, green tea, elderberry juice concentrate, juniper berries, carob flour, bee pollen, cocoa powder, chia seeds, moringa, and some fruit juices. Click here for an article about quercetin.

Click here to view pdf of all Foods-High-in-Quercetin

Quercetin is a powerful flavonoid with a wide range of health benefits, such as its ability to reduce inflammation, eliminate pain, protect against cardiovascular diseases, act as an anti-cancer, boost the immune system, reduce histamines, and decrease skin irritation.

So, this simple, unassuming Golden Milk just might be the easiest and most delicious way to absorb your turmeric. Hooray! For more information, see my post: Turmeric: Health Benefits or Hype?  Oh, and check out the yummy Golden Milk Variations below: Serves one. Enjoy!

Yummy Golden Milk Variations:

1. Milk: Feel free to use different milks. Use any alternative milk, see my homemade nut milk recipe. 
   Or use cow’s milk, goat’s milk, raw milk or even water. However if you milk is lower in fat, you’ll need to add fat to aid in curcumin absortion.
2. Fat: Options for fat include coconut oil, MCT oil, butter, or ghee.
3. Quercetin: You need a high-quercetin ingredient. Try any of these: apples, grapes, black tea, green tea, elderberry juice concentrate, juniper berries, carob flour, bee pollen, cocoa powder, chia seeds, or moringa. Click here for a list of foods highest in quercetin.
4. Play around: Just for fun, try different flavors and spices! A few suggestions are coffee, cocoa, mocha, pumpkin, sweet potato, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, reishi, chaga, honey, ashwagandha, cayenne, cloves, matcha, green tea, black tea, jasmine, or Earl Grey tea.