Turmeric Milk
Overview
Turmeric milk combines turmeric (curcumin) with milk or plant-based milk. Curcumin is fat-soluble, so the fat in milk can improve its absorption; black pepper (piperine) is also associated with enhanced curcumin absorption. This warming drink is ideal for evening consumption.
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk (dairy or plant-based)
- 1 tsp (5 ml) turmeric powder
- ½ tsp black pepper (optional, for enhanced absorption)
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional, for sweetness)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
- Pinch of ground ginger (optional)
Nutrition calculation uses whole dairy milk.
Method
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until warm (do not boil).
- Add turmeric powder and stir until well combined.
- Add black pepper, cinnamon, and ginger if using, and stir.
- Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and add honey or maple syrup if desired.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve if needed to remove any clumps.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition
Per serving. Each included ingredient is scaled from a named per-100 g composition record by edible grams. Optional ingredients are excluded. Missing analytical values are not treated as zero.
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Energy | 160 kcal |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14 g |
| Sugars | 12 g |
| Fibre | 0.68 g |
| Total fat | 8 g |
| Saturated fat | 4.6 g |
| Sodium | 110 mg |
Key vitamins and minerals
| Nutrient | Per serving | Reference intake |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B12 | 1.1 µg | 46% RDA |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.42 mg | 32% RDA |
| Phosphorus | 210 mg | 31% RDA |
| Calcium | 280 mg | 28% RDA |
| Manganese | 0.60 mg | 26% AI |
| Vitamin D | 3.2 µg | 21% RDA |
| Vitamin B5 | 0.93 mg | 19% AI |
| Selenium | 9.2 µg | 17% RDA |
Vitamins and minerals supplying at least 15% of an adult reference intake, up to eight. RDA is a recommended dietary allowance; AI is an adequate intake, used where the evidence does not support an RDA. Nutrients below the threshold are still calculated and still count towards a daily total.
Bioactive compounds
No bioactive compound has a defensible quantitative value for this serving. Values reported only as presence, traces or ranges are not summed into a number.
Calculation details
| Ingredient | Weight used | Composition record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup (244 g) whole milk | 244 g | USDA FDC 171265 — Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat |
| 1 tsp (3 g) ground turmeric | 3 g | USDA FDC 172231 — Spices, turmeric, ground |
Mainly from:
- Energy: Milk
- Protein: Milk
- Carbohydrates: Milk, Turmeric
- Sugars: Milk
- Fibre: Turmeric
- Total fat: Milk
- Saturated fat: Milk
- Sodium: Milk
Assumptions and exclusions:
- 1 cup (244 g) whole milk: USDA SR Legacy FDC 171265 food_portion: 1 cup = 244 g
- 1 tsp (3 g) ground turmeric: USDA SR Legacy FDC 172231 food_portion: 1 tsp = 3 g. The previous entry used 2.6 g, which is the cinnamon teaspoon weight.
- ½ tsp black pepper (optional, for enhanced absorption) — the recipe marks black pepper optional, so it is not in the default total
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional) — optional sweetener
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional) — optional ingredient
- pinch of ground ginger (optional) — optional ingredient, no stated quantity
- Black pepper is listed as optional in the recipe, so the default total is milk plus turmeric. Adding ½ tsp black pepper contributes about 3 kcal.
Brain Health Notes
- Turmeric contains curcumin, a polyphenol studied for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
- Milk or plant-based milk provides fat that can improve curcumin absorption, since curcumin is fat-soluble.
- Black pepper contains piperine, which is associated with enhanced curcumin bioavailability.