What is Golden Milk

Golden Milk (Turmeric Milk) is a traditional Indian drink that is full of health benefits that is gaining popularity in western culture. I even saw it on the menu at a local restaurant here in Nashua recently. Not only is it delicious it is full of antioxidants and other goodies to enhance health.

Traditonally made by warming up cow’s milk or a plant-based milk and adding turmeric and other spices such as ginger, saffron and cinnamon. I also add local honey to make it even more delicious and I use raw milk. I will be writing more on the benefits of raw milk in the future. Here is a link to find raw milk providers in your area. Getrawmilk.com

It fights inflammation.

Turmeric contains curcumin, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Curcumin is a natural anti-inflammatory compound. It helps fight foreign invaders and plays a role in repairing damage to the body. Thus, It can help with isssues that are exacerbated by chronic inflammation such as:

1. heart disease

2. cancer

3. metabolic syndromes

4. Alzheimer’s disease

5. various degenerative conditions

Anything that can help fight chronic inflammation is potentially important in preventing and helping treat these conditions.

While the topic of inflammation is multilayered and there’s likely no simple answer, the key takeaway regarding curcumin is that it is a bioactive substance that can reduce chronic inflammation which contributes to some common health conditions. Curcumin can suppress many molecules known to play major roles in inflammation, but its bioavailability needs to be enhanced.

It is an amazing anti-oxidant

Turmeric can increase the antioxidant capacity of the body.

Oxidative damage is believed to be one of the mechanisms behind aging and many diseases.

The main reason antioxidants are so beneficial is that they protect your body from free radicals. Free radicals are an uncharged molecules (typically highly reactive and short-lived) having an unpaired valence electron.

Curcumin can boost brain-deprived neurotrophics

Before scientists had a better understanding of neurons, it was believed that they weren’t able to divide and multiply after early childhood. However, they now know that isn’t the case.

Neurons are capable of forming new connections, and in certain areas of the brain they can multiply and increase in number.

One of the main drivers of this process is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This is a gene that’s involved in making a protein responsible for promoting the life of neurons.

The BDNF protein plays a role in memory and learning, and it can be found in areas of the brain responsible for eating, drinking, and body weight.

Many common brain disorders have been linked to decreased levels of BDNF protein, including depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

Interestingly, animal studies have found that curcumin may increase brain levels of BDNF .

By doing this, it may be effective in delaying or even reversing many brain diseases and age-related decreases in brain function. Still, since these studies were performed in animals, it’s hard to say what the results mean for humans.

It may also help improve memory and attention, which seems logical given its effects on BDNF levels. Curcumin boosts levels of the brain hormone BDNF, which increases the growth of new neurons and may help fight various degenerative processes in your brain

Can lower risk of heart disease.

Curcumin may lower your risk of heart disease. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the world). Unsurprisingly, heart disease is incredibly complicated and various things contribute to it.

Curcumin may help reverse many steps in the heart disease.

Perhaps the main benefit of curcumin when it comes to heart disease is improving the function of the endothelium, the lining of your blood vessels.

The endothelial dysfunction is a major driver of heart disease. This is when your endothelium is unable to regulate blood pressure, blood clotting, and various other facto

Several studies suggest that curcumin can lead to improvements in heart health. Additionally, one study found that it’s as effective as exercise in post-menopausal women.

In addition, curcumin can help reduce inflammation and oxidation (as discussed above), which can play a role in heart disease.

In one study of 121 people undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery, researchers assigned them either a placebo or 4 grams of curcumin per day a few days before and after the surgery.

The curcumin group had a 65% decreased risk of experiencing a heart attack in the hospital.

Curcumin has beneficial effects on several factors known to play a role in heart disease. Plus, it’s an anti-inflammatory agent and antioxidant.

Turmeric may help prevent cancer.

Cancer is a disease, characterized by uncontrolled cell growth. There are many different forms of cancer that appear to be affected by curcumin supplements.

Curcumin has been studied as a beneficial herb in cancer treatment and been found to affect cancer growth and development.

Studies have shown that it can contribute to the death of cancerous cells

• reduce angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels in tumors)

• reduce metastasis (spread of cancer)

However, there is evidence that turmeric it may prevent cancer from occurring in the first place, especially cancers of the digestive system like colorectal cancer.

In a 30-day study in 44 men with lesions in the colon that sometimes turn cancerous, 4 grams of curcumin per day reduced the number of lesions by 40%.

Curcumin leads to several changes on the molecular level that may help prevent and perhaps even treat cancer.

Curcumin may be useful in treating Dementia/Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to up 70% of dementia cases.

While treatment exits for some of its symptoms, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s yet. That’s why preventing it from occurring in the first place is so important.

There may be good news on the horizon because curcumin has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier.

It’s known that inflammation and oxidative damage play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, and curcumin has beneficial effects on both.

In addition, a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease is a buildup of protein tangles called amyloid plaques. Studies show that curcumin can help clear these plaques .

Whether curcumin can slow or even reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in people is currently unknown and needs to be studied.

Curcumin can cross the blood-brain barrier and has been shown to lead to various improvements in the pathological process of Alzheimer’s disease.

Arthritis patients respond well to curcumin supplements.

Arthritis is a common problem in Western countries. There are several different types of arthritis, most of which involve inflammation in the joints.

Given that curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory compound, it makes sense that it may help with arthritis. In fact, several studies show that there is an association.

In a study in people with rheumatoid arthritis, curcumin was even more effective than an anti-inflammatory drug.

May other studies have looked at the effects of curcumin on arthritis and noted improvements in various symptoms

Arthritis is a common disorder characterized by joint inflammation. Many studies show that curcumin can help treat symptoms of arthritis and is, in some cases, more effective than anti-inflammatory drugs.

Curcumin has benefits against depression.

Curcumin has shown some promise in treating depression.

In a controlled trial, 60 people with depression were randomized into three groups One group took Prozac, another group took 1 gram of curcumin, and the third group took both Prozac and curcumin.

After 6 weeks, curcumin had led to improvements similar to those of Prozac. The group that took both Prozac and curcumin fared best.

According to this small study, curcumin is as effective as an antidepressant.

Depression is also linked to reduced levels of BDNF and a shrinking hippocampus, a brain area with a role in learning and memory. Curcumin can help boost BDNF levels, potentially reversing some of these changes

There’s also some evidence that curcumin can boost the brain neurotransmitters serotonin and a study in 60 people with depression showed that curcumin was as effective as Prozac in alleviating symptoms of the condition.

Curcumin may help delay again and fight age-related chronic diseases.

If curcumin can really help prevent heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s, it may have benefits for longevity as well.

This suggests that curcumin may have potential as an anti-aging supplement

Given that oxidation and inflammation are believed to play a role in aging, curcumin may have effects that go way beyond just preventing disease

Due to its many positive health effects, such as the potential to prevent heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and cancer, curcumin may aid longevity.

Turmeric — and especially its most active compound, curcumin — have many scientifically proven health benefits, such as the potential to improve heart health and prevent against Alzheimer’s and cancer.

It’s a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It may also help improve symptoms of depression and arthritis.

While these benefits are possible, they are limited at this time because of curcumin’s scarce bioavailability, and more research is needed.

Recommendations:Drink a warm cup before bedtime.

Recipe

Two cups organic or raw milk (you want milk from happy loved cows, not industrial production milk)

Gently warm in a pot on your stove. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric and cinnamon and saffron if desired. Add organic local honey to taste.

Drink and enjoy the benefits. I find that it helps me fall asleep also.

- Julie O'Hara

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