7 Health Benefits of Turmeric Tea… PLUS 3 Turmeric Tea Recipes

The marvels of turmeric are not limited to just helping your food taste better. No, this amazing ancient spice can be used for medicinal purposes to provide potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. One of the easiest ways to reap the benefits of turmeric is through a nice cup of hot tea. Brewing yourself some turmeric tea can benefit your body and mind, from boosting your immune function to reducing cell damage. Learn here about the health benefits of turmeric tea and get 3 delicious ways to make turmeric tea.

The Mighty Combination of Turmeric and Tea

Let’s talk about turmeric. Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant. You may know it as adding lots of flavor and spice to Indian food and other cuisines, but turmeric benefits go beyond that. Including turmeric in your diet can provide lots of health benefits, from reducing pain to keeping your immune system strong. So, the more ways you can find to include turmeric into your daily diet, the better!

The benefits of turmeric root mostly come from curcumin. This bioactive component is what contributes to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of this potent spice. Additionally, curcumin is therapeutic and helps spread the health benefits of turmeric throughout the body system. From your cognitive function to your digestion, turmeric has got your back!

Now let’s talk about tea. Tea is characterized by the infusion of dried plants into hot water. Drinking tea can help you stay hydrated, and drinking a warm beverage can make you feel more relaxed. Finally, and let’s not forget this one: tea is low in calories! Depending on what is added, it could even be as low as zero. So, why not combine the benefits of turmeric and tea together into one delicious and healthy drink? Here are 3 easy turmeric tea recipes:

Turmeric Tea #1 – Basic Batch

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2-3 teaspoons of turmeric
2 cups of boiled water

Optional ingredients for added flavor or additional benefits:
Drops of pure raw honey
Several pinches of black pepper
Lemon or lime juice
Grated ginger
Milk of your choice (whole, almond, coconut, etc.)

Directions:

1. Boil water. Add two to three teaspoons of turmeric, depending how strong you like your tea. The turmeric to water ratio is up to your discretion.
2. Mix until the turmeric somewhat dissolves. Because turmeric is a natural substance, it may settle at the bottom. You may have to mix again during the time you enjoy the tea due to cooling over time.

***The following steps are optional.

1. Throw in one or a combination of the optional ingredients into your basic batch. These can be used for taste and/or added antimicrobial/antioxidant properties.

Turmeric Tea #2 – Spice It Up

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1-2 teaspoons of Superfood Turmeric***
2 cups of boiled water
¼ lemon
½ teaspoon honey (optional)

Directions:

1. Add Superfood Turmeric to the boiled water. Again, the amount is up to you. Start with at least one teaspoon – then add according to taste.
2. Mix the spices into the water. The color will be the classic orange-yellow hue that turmeric is known for, even though the tonic consists of a multitude of other natural ingredients. Because it is still all-natural, there will be some powder settling at the bottom of the cup.
3. Add lemon and honey if you wish!

Spice It Up is quite the complex tea. This recipes seems very similar to the Basic Batch, however the Superfood Turmeric actually consists of 8 different superfoods: turmeric, Schisandra berry, boswellia, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper! The additional benefits you get in this flavorful tea include mood enhancement (Schisandra berry), pain reduction (boswellia), digestion improvement (ginger), infection prevention (cardamom), and further detoxification (clove).

Turmeric Tea #3 – Coconut Turmeric Tea

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon of turmeric or 1 teaspoon Superfood Turmeric
1 cup of water
1 cup of coconut milk
1 tablespoon of ghee butter

Additive:
1 tablespoon of honey

Directions:

1. On low to medium heat, warm the coconut milk and water in a saucepan.
2. Once the mixture is warm, add the ghee and turmeric or Superfood Turmeric. Continue to warm. Notice the mixture getting thicker and creamier! The golden color will set it quickly as well.
3. Throw in a teaspoon of honey to sweeten the taste (optional). Otherwise, stir, serve, and enjoy!

The Health Benefits of Turmeric Tea

Now that you’ve found a turmeric tea recipe that you love, let’s look at the health benefits of consuming turmeric tea on a regular basis:

1. Turmeric promotes skin health. You don’t need to topically apply turmeric in order for it to benefit your skin. Turmeric’s antimicrobial properties help fight off bacteria that cause acne. Those anti-inflammatory properties we mentioned early are what help heal wounds faster, prevent irritation, repair skin, hinder blemishes, and clear up scars (1). Turmeric is great for those suffering from skin conditions that cause damage or itching, such as eczema.
2. Turmeric tea can reduce joint pain. Achey joints are never fun and can affect your entire day. Turmeric tea can help protect bone materials, ultimately relieving joint pain, particularly pain from arthritis and/or osteoarthritis (2).
3. Turmeric tea promotes a strong, healthy immune system. Turmeric has immunoregulatory benefits. This medicinal herb is an antioxidant, with anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial characteristics. Studies have even shown that turmeric can improve white blood cell counts. 
4. Turmeric tea provides for the ultimate morning, evening, or afternoon detox! Turmeric improves liver function, thus aiding in removing toxic waste from the body. That’s the beauty of powerful antioxidants!
5. Turmeric tea supports brain function. Yes, this one is quite the surprise. Not only can warm turmeric tea help manage depression, it can also treat and prevent the effects of neurological diseases that are degenerative, including Alzheimer’s. Its anti-inflammatory properties aid in supporting the brain and memory. Keep your mind sharp with turmeric tea!
6. Turmeric tea may help prevent cancer. Another big benefit of turmeric tea is that it may avert your healthy cells from the detrimental DNA damage that occurs in carcinogenesis, the first step in the formation of cancer (3). Turmeric tea may also limit the growth of already present tumors in multiple ways, such as inducing apoptosis (cell death) and slowing/stopping angiogenesis (development of new blood vessels).
7. Turmeric tea helps keep your blood sugar in check. This can be extremely important information for millions of people in the US alone, seeing that about 10% of Americans suffer from diabetes or prediabetes (4). Controlling blood sugar is crucial to a healthy life. Curcumin helps balance blood sugar levels and improves insulin sensitivity, further helping you avoid diabetes and consequential heart diseases, regulate cholesterol, and stabilize weight.

A Few Turmeric Tea Tips from the Further Food Family:

1. We like to add black pepper to our turmeric tea. Black pepper enhances the absorption of curcumin and helps you maximize the benefits of turmeric.
2. Don’t leave your turmeric tea in your favorite mug for too long or it will leave a stain. Wash out your teacup before you leave for work.
3. Tea is great any time of the day, but research has shown that having warm/hot water in the morning can help get your metabolism going. If you’re an evening drinker, considering having a cup in the morning as well!

Other Turmeric Recipes:
Turmeric Detox Tea

Turmeric Lasse

Turmeric Chicken Quinoa

REFERENCES:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26624595
2. https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/treatments/natural/supplements-herbs/guide/turmeric.php
3. http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/treatment/complementary-alternative-therapies/individual-therapies/turmeric
4. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0718-diabetes-report.html

Want to Read More?

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6 Ways to Use Turmeric: About the Best Turmeric Uses

9 Essential Health Benefits of Turmeric and Turmeric Supplements

***These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease