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Summary
1What is turmeric tea?
Made by steeping fresh or dried turmeric in water, turmeric tea has a distinctive orange colour and earthy taste. You can also make turmeric tea...
2What is turmeric tea good for?
It may help to support your joint health The ingredients within turmeric have been studied for their possible effects...
3A simple homemade turmeric and ginger tea recipe
Looking for an easy way to drink turmeric? Making fresh turmeric tea takes no more than five minutes, a handful of ingredients and one pot.
Turmeric is a spice with a vibrant yellow-orange colour.1 It’s related to ginger and before the turmeric latte became an Instagram-endorsed beverage, it's most well-known for adding a sharp, earthy taste and ochre colour to curries.1 But what are the possible turmeric tea benefits for health? And why is brewing this herb so special?
Despite appearances, the traditionally acclaimed properties of this golden spice didn’t appear from nowhere. In fact, in India, turmeric has been a kitchen staple and a go-to herb for centuries.2
What is turmeric tea?
Made by steeping fresh or dried turmeric in water, turmeric tea has a distinctive orange colour and earthy taste. You can also make turmeric tea with turmeric tea bags, found in most supermarkets or online, instead of using the root itself.
But what’s driving the credentials of this spice? The short answer is curcumin.3 It’s a compound found in turmeric and the active ingredient that gives its antioxidant and potentially anti-inflammatory effects (the latter is still being studied and there isn’t enough clinical evidence for it yet).4 This has led to the emergence of numerous potential turmeric tea benefits for wellness.
What is turmeric tea good for?
The ingredients within turmeric have been studied for their possible effects on joint and bone health, with some studies showing that curcumin may help alleviate some symptoms of arthritis, such as morning stiffness and joint swelling.4,5
Early research in labs suggests curcumin might help reduce swelling and soreness in joints by calming inflammation in different ways.6 The review on turmeric concluded further research is needed due to the limitations of using small samples.
Some small studies show the potential role of curcumin in managing conditions that cause inflammation in the digestive tract.7 This includes helping to maintain remission from symptoms in mild and moderate forms of inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis.7
However, the exact method and evidence for how turmeric might help with digestive tract issues are still unclear, and the results should be taken with a pinch of salt due to the low quality of evidence and high risks of bias.
Early lab research indicates that turmeric may have a few different pathways which may lead to supporting a healthy heart. One of the ways it might do this is by helping to lower LDL cholesterol (that’s the bad variety).8
As a result, turmeric may aid circulation and improve blood flow to the heart by reducing the build-up of plaque in the arteries.8
However, although there have been some promising studies, albeit small in number and with limitations, equally there have been studies that contradict this information making it difficult to draw trustworthy conclusions. Please speak to a doctor if you plan on taking turmeric as it may interact with anticoagulants (blood-thinning medications).
As your body uses food for energy, it creates some unstable molecules called free radicals.9 These can build up over time and damage cells, which is known as oxidation.9 This is thought to be part of getting older and might even be linked to some long-term health problems.9
Antioxidants help neutralise free radicals before they can cause harm, protecting your cells.9
Some studies show the antioxidant, antibacterial and antiviral properties of the spice may help to moderate the immune system.10 This suggests turmeric might contribute to how effectively your immune system protects your body.11 Although, further research is needed.
Whilst some research has shown positive results for these five potential benefits, many of these have been done in very small samples, animal studies, or over a short duration which means it’s difficult to draw any reliable conclusions. Nonetheless, turmeric tea is a tasty drink and can be enjoyed purely for its taste.
A simple homemade turmeric and ginger tea recipe
Looking for an easy way to drink turmeric? Making fresh turmeric tea takes no more than five minutes, a handful of ingredients and one pot.
Ingredients for ginger turmeric tea:
- three heaped teaspoons of ground turmeric
- one tablespoon of grated, fresh ginger
- zest of one small orange
- honey or agave
- lemon slices
How to make your fresh turmeric tea:
- add your turmeric, ginger and orange zest to a jug or teapot
- pour over 500ml of boiled water
- leave to infuse for roughly five minutes
- using a sieve or strainer, pour two mugs of tea
- add honey or agave if you want to sweeten your tea and a slice of lemon as a garnish
Can I drink turmeric tea every day?
Sure! Turmeric contains a relatively low concentration of curcumin, and your tea is likely to contain roughly 3% of curcumin.11 So, you’re highly unlikely to take too much of the spice by sprinkling it into a daily tea or latte.
How often should you drink turmeric tea?
There isn’t a specific recommended daily intake of turmeric. Turmeric only contains roughly 3-5% curcumin, so if you take 100mg of turmeric, you’ll only ingest 3-5mg of curcumin.12 This means taking too much curcumin is highly unlikely. However, like all things, drink in moderation.
What are the side effects of turmeric tea?
When consumed in moderation, the amount of turmeric in a tea is unlikely to cause side effects. Almost anyone can safely drink turmeric tea.
However, as high doses of curcumin could have a blood-thinning effect, if you’re taking anticoagulants such as warfarin, talk to a doctor before taking turmeric in the higher concentrations found in supplements.13
The final say
Although more research on humans is needed, initial lab studies have shown promising results. However, whether turmeric tea delivers the potential alleged health benefits is up for debate.
But saying that, it makes a tasty, comforting beverage and brewing the spice and drinking turmeric as a tea is a great way to enjoy at least some of the potential effects of curcumin. So, if you’re looking for a caffeine-free alternative to your normal builder’s brew, it might be worth having a rummage through your spice rack.
- turmeric | Description, History, & Uses [Internet]. Encyclopedia Britannica. Available from: https://www.britannica.com/plant/turmeric
- Chattopadhyay I, Biswas K, Bandyopadhyay U, Banerjee RK. Turmeric and curcumin: Biological actions and medicinal applications. Current science. 2004 Jul 10:44-53. Available at: http://repository.ias.ac.in/5196/1/306.pdf
- Hay E, Lucariello A, Contieri M, Esposito T, De Luca A, Guerra G, Perna A. Therapeutic effects of turmeric in several diseases: An overview. Chemico-biological interactions. 2019 Sep 1;310:108729. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0009279719308610
- Shokri-Mashhadi N, Bagherniya M, Askari G, Sathyapalan T, Sahebkar A. A systematic review of the clinical use of curcumin for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Studies on Biomarkers and New Targets in Aging Research in Iran: Focus on Turmeric and Curcumin. 2021:265-82. Available at: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-56153-6_16
- NHS. Rheumatoid Arthritis [Internet]. NHS. 2023. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/
- Fatemeh Pourhabibi‐Zarandi, Shojaei‐Zarghani S, Rafraf M. Curcumin and rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review of literature. International journal of clinical practice [Internet]. 2021 May 24 [cited 2024 May 22];75(10). Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33914984
- Thavorn K, Wolfe D, Faust L, Shorr R, Akkawi M, Isaranuwatchai W, Klinger C, Chai‐Adisaksopa C, Tanvejsilp P, Nochaiwong S, Straus SE. A systematic review of the efficacy and safety of turmeric in the treatment of digestive disorders. Phytotherapy Research. 2024 Mar 19. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ptr.8189
- Zhang HA, Kitts DD. Turmeric and its bioactive constituents trigger cell signaling mechanisms that protect against diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Molecular and cellular biochemistry. 2021 Oct;476(10):3785-814. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11010-021-04201-6
- Pham-Huy LA, He H, Pham-Huy C. Free radicals, antioxidants in disease and health. International journal of biomedical science : IJBS [Internet]. 2008 [cited 2024 Jun 10];4(2):89–96. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3614697/
- Hay E, Lucariello A, Contieri M, Esposito T, De Luca A, Guerra G, Perna A. Therapeutic effects of turmeric in several diseases: An overview. Chemico-biological interactions. 2019 Sep 1;310:108729. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0009279719308610
- Reema F. Tayyem , Dennis D. Heath , Wael K. Al-Delaimy & Cheryl L. Rock (2006) Curcumin Content of Turmeric and Curry Powders, Nutrition and Cancer, 55:2, 126-131, DOI: 10.1207/s15327914nc5502_2
- El-Saadony MT, Yang T, Korma SA, Mahmoud Sitohy, Taia A. Abd El-Mageed, Selim S, et al. Impacts of turmeric and its principal bioactive curcumin on human health: Pharmaceutical, medicinal, and food applications: A comprehensive review. Frontiers in nutrition [Internet]. 2023 Jan 10 [cited 2024 May 22];9. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9881416/
- Kim DC, Ku SK, Bae JS. Anticoagulant activities of curcumin and its derivative. BMB reports. 2012;45(4):221-6. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22531131/
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