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Are you an allergy sufferer? This recipe is for you. I’m only slightly exaggerating when I say this beverage is a miracle immune boosting seasonal allergy buster. In my experience it relieves symptoms pretty much instantly.
The main ingredient here is turmeric, a root long touted for its medicinal properties. Turmeric has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, supports liver and immune health, may relieve arthritis and joint pain, and has been shown to kill cancer cells and suppress tumor growth.
If you experience itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose, or other seasonal allergy issues, you know how unpleasant an otherwise beautiful spring day can feel. If you have seasonal allergies, your body mounts an immune and inflammatory response when you go outside and the trees spew pollen all over you. The released histamines inside your body cause increased mucous production to help coat and get rid of the allergen. That’s why you have a stuffy or runny nose and watery eyes.
Enter turmeric: Its active ingredient is curcumin, which blocks mast cells from releasing histamine. It has the ability to remove excess mucous and reduce inflammation in the sinuses and respiratory tract. Turmeric can benefit sufferers of hay fever, asthma, bronchitis, and allergies.
Golden turmeric milk is widely used as an Ayurvedic healing tonic for circulation, digestion, clear complexion, and blood purification. It’s an incredibly delicious, silky, warming and comforting tonic best taken before bed when the immune system is most active (though I use it anytime during the day if I experience seasonal allergy symptoms). I drink it with a coconut milk or almond milk base, as cow dairy may worsen your seasonal allergy symptoms.
Even if you don’t suffer with allergies, this golden milk is excellent for boosting the immune system and combatting inflammation (I often recommend curcumin to those with inflammatory GI issues like IBS, colitis, and Crohn’s) and chronic pain (especially arthritis). Turmeric (curcumin really) has myriad health benefits. Read more about how to incorporate turmeric in your diet here.
I added raw honey to this recipe, because it may help combat allergy symptoms (raw honey local to your area in particular). Black pepper is added to increase turmeric’s absorption. You can also add a sliver of ginger root (or a shake or 2 of powdered ginger) for enhanced warming and cleansing. Ginger is also excellent for nausea and indigestion. The cinnamon adds a delicious sweetness and is great for blood sugar balance. Turmeric milk is so divine you’ll forget it’s medicinal! And no nasty side effects from over the counter drugs; to the contrary, turmeric offers so many more benefits in addition to allergy relief.
Click here for my more detailed recommendations to combat allergies naturally. This product works great in conjunction with the golden milk.
Golden Turmeric Milk
Golden Turmeric Milk
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8oz) nut milk I use coconut milk or almond milk. Full fat coconut milk will make this very rich, so I recommend light coconut milk unless you want a thicker, rich drink.
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp if you're brave
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp grated ginger root or 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- raw honey to taste (1 tsp usually does it)
- cayenne to taste
Instructions
- Add milk to saucepan and warm over medium-low heat.
- Whisk in other ingredients thoroughly until it reaches your desired temp. DO NOT boil.
- Pour into mug and enjoy. You can strain grated ginger out if you want.
- Alternatively you can mix everything together in a blender or immersion blender and warm it in the microwave.
- Doubles or triples easily if need be.
Mary Vance is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and author specializing in digestive health. She combines a science-based approach with natural therapies to rebalance the body. In addition to her 1:1 coaching, she offers courses to help you heal your gut and improve your health. Mary lives in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe in Northern California. Read more about her coaching practice here and her background here.
Is this ok to drink while pregnant? I’m 30 weeks along. I’ve heard that turmeric can be pretty strong.
No, avoid turmeric drinks and supplements (curry is OK) while pregnant/breastfeeding.
I want to know the difference between turmeric and ginger since they have the same appearance. Are they a different plant or they just differ in name but they’re just the same in general? Thanks in advance.
They’re in the same family but are different roots. There is a wealth of info via google on the properties of each. Both have unique health benefits.
I am AIP paleo in the elimination stage and can’t do nuts or seeds and I’m allergic to coconut. I would like to get more turmeric in my diet and want to try this recipe. Do you have any suggestion on substations? Thanks
I don’t have people eliminate black pepper on AIP, but that’s just me. You need it to absorb the turmeric effectively. If you can’t do coconut, you can just use water and add the juice of 1/2 lemon, eliminate cinnamon and cayenne.
Thanks Mary, I’ll try it and when I can I’ll try Almond milk with it. Glad I found your blog, it’s wonderful! Vickie
How often should I drink this?
I recommend every night for best results. If your allergies are really bad, add 3 cups of nettles tea during the day. It’s a natural histamine blocker.
Is this safe for children ages 4 -8?
I haven’t researched using turmeric for children, but probably? I don’t work with kids, so I’d recommend a google search.
Much obliged Mary, I’ll attempt it and when I would i’ll be able to attempt Almond drain with it. Happy I discovered your blog, it’s magnificent!
How much and how often for inflamation?
Ada, depending on the level of inflammation present, it varies. For example, if you have arthritis, joint pain, or elevated inflammatory markers (like CRP), you’ll need to take a curcumin supplement for a few months (like this one: https://maryvancenc.ehealthpro.com/products/curcum-evail-r-30-softgels)
then you can use this several times weekly to maintain benefits.
If you’re using it to prevent inflammation, a few times weekly is fine.
Hi Mary, it sounds an amazing recipe.
But can I use skimmed milk instead of nut milk? I want to have a little protein boost.
Hi Lewaa, you can use any milk you like. The reason I recommend dairy free is because many people are casein or lactose intolerant, and it makes allergies WAY worse. Also i never recommend skim milk– it’s had its beneficial fats stripped away, and you need the fat to absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K. So it’s basically just fancy water.
Hi Mary I have been taking golden milk with semi skimmed milk for 4 days now it helps with my joints pain, but it seems i’m allergic because i’m getting red skin spots and rashes, what to do ??
Hi Mary,
Loved the post and I have included turmeric milk in my routine. I have these allergies for quite some time now specially during rains and winters. Does cow milk consumed boiled and hot also worsens allergies? I like milk tea a lot and consume it twice daily. Should I stop that?
Also I saw you suggested nettle tea for allergies in one comment. It would be really helpful if you can provide more insight on it and how it should be consumed.
Thans for such a wonderful post.
Mili, that could be an allergy to dairy. I’d recommend trying it witd a dairy free milk like almond, coconut, or cashew. If it keeps happening, you’ll need to discontinue.
Vaibhav, yes, cow’s milk may worsen allergy symptoms in some people. It can cause excess mucous production. You could try cashew, oat, almond, or coconut milk instead. You can buy bagged nettles tea and drink it 3 times daily for histamine/allergy relief. I like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HVD9XQU?ie=UTF8&tag=maryvancnutrc-20&camp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=B01HVD9XQU
I have a specific allergy, whenever I go outside under the sun or in any condition whenever My body gets a bit warm I feel itching all over my body It become so annoying that I couldn’t stand for few seconds under the sun or any warm place this happens during spring season but not in winter. Can I use the same remedy of turmeric plus milk? And the milk can be nido in case?
Hi Ali, it is possible to have photosensitivity (or sun allergy, sun sensitivity). Medications like hormonal birth control and certain antibiotics can be a cause. I don’t know that the golden milk would work for this.