Turmeric tonic

The tale of turmeric

If you enjoy cooking, you’re probably no stranger to turmeric. Even if you’ve never made a turmeric tonic before, you’ve likely added the spice to a curry or similar dish. Bright golden orange in colour and boldly earthy in flavour, it’s wonderful for adding taste and vibrancy to meals. However, it’s so much more than that – turmeric is also exceptionally good for your health.

Practitioners of traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda have been using the ingredient to support health for thousands of years. What’s more, thanks to its vivid hue, people across the world have employed turmeric as a natural dye too. For example, it’s sometimes used to colour the robes of Buddhist monks. Interestingly, in India, the spice even has a key role to play in Hindu weddings. Before getting married, the couple take part in a ceremony called Haldi. This involves applying a paste made with turmeric to the bride and groom to bless their relationship.

We get turmeric from the root of a flowering plant called Curcuma longa, which is native to India and parts of Southeast Asia. Similar to ginger, the root is bulbous and has a rough, dark orange skin. Today, however, it’s far more common to use turmeric in powder form. As well as being easier to find in shops, powder is more convenient when making recipes like turmeric tonic.

Several of the benefits of drinking a turmeric tonic are thanks to a compound called curcumin. This is the main active ingredient in turmeric, and part of a wider group of curcuminoid compounds it contains. Let’s explore some of the impressive ways it can support our wellbeing. It might surprise you how many of them there are!

Turmeric’s remarkable health benefits

Two of the most notable benefits that curcumin brings to a turmeric tonic are its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.(1) Both chronic inflammation and oxidative stress contribute to the development of several harmful health conditions, such as heart disease. For example, studies have shown that curcumin can reduce inflammation and pain in arthritis patients as effectively as pharmaceutical drugs.(2)

One particularly interesting finding is that curcumin may be able to increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).(3) This is a protein that supports the development and survival of neurons, as well as synaptic plasticity. The latter is crucial for cognitive functions such as learning and memory. Consequently, curcumin could stave off brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and age-related cognitive decline. In line with this, research has found that curcumin can help to clear the amyloid plaques caused by Alzheimer’s.(4) However, further investigation is necessary to clarify how much a turmeric tonic could improve your brain power.

Another exciting brain-related benefit of curcumin relates to our mood. Studies suggest that the ingredient could act as an antidepressant.(5) This is thanks to its ability to enhance brain plasticity and boost the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. It may also have a positive effect on anxiety, but more research is necessary to confirm this. Either way, it seems like a turmeric tonic could be a great choice on days when you need some TLC.

Finally, studies indicate that curcumin might have anti-cancer properties. Findings suggest it could reduce the spread of the disease and contribute to the death of cancer cells.(6) It may even lower the likelihood of certain cancers developing in the first place. However, more research is required to clarify the ingredient’s potential for preventing and treating this condition.

Ginger: adding more than just flavour

As you probably expected, we didn’t make this a ginger turmeric tonic recipe for flavour reasons alone. Ginger does add a fiery kick to the drink that we’re sure you’ll love. But more importantly, it also brings further health benefits to your glass. Many of these are because of the active compound gingerol, which – like curcumin – is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.(7)

One of the most famous advantages of ginger is its ability to reduce nausea.(8) This makes a ginger turmeric tonic a fabulous option if you’re feeling under the weather or suffering from morning sickness. In a similar vein, studies have found that the ingredient eases chronic indigestion.(9) So, you might like to mix yourself up a ginger turmeric tonic after dinner to help you digest your meal.

In addition, ginger could work to support heart health by improving cholesterol levels. Research suggests the ingredient can lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, while simultaneously increasing ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.(10) Ginger also helps to decrease blood pressure and enhance blood flow, further boosting the ingredient’s positive effects on cardiovascular health.(11)

Popping some ginger in your turmeric tonic recipe could additionally aid in blood glucose management. Research indicates the ingredient can reduce fasting blood sugar and average blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes.(12) Ginger might even assist with healthy weight loss, reducing measures like waist-to-hip ratio.(13) A ginger turmeric tonic recipe is ideal for enjoying this kind of benefit, as it’s relatively low in calories.

Finally, similar to curcumin, evidence suggests that certain compounds in ginger may help to protect against neurodegenerative diseases.(14) That’s yet one more persuasive reason to add it to your turmeric tonic!

How to make this turmeric tonic recipe

As if being tasty and good for you wasn’t enough, this turmeric tonic is also quick and easy to make. Start by adding two tablespoons of cold-pressed ginger juice to a glass jug, followed by four tablespoons of lemon juice. Of course, you can adjust the ratios of these so that your turmeric tonic better matches your personal tastes.

Next, drizzle in a couple of teaspoons of honey. If you’d like to make your turmeric tonic 100% vegan, we suggest using agave nectar or maple syrup instead. Again, you can use a little more or little less to change the sweetness of the drink to suit you. Now it’s time to add the main ingredient. Sprinkle in a quarter of a teaspoon of turmeric powder – that really is all you need! Stir well until you’ve completely dissolved the powder.

The next step in this turmeric tonic recipe is to top up your jug with sparkling water. We’ve listed 500ml here, to make two glasses of turmeric tonic. However, if you'd like a stronger taste, you have the option to use less than this. Likewise, you could add extra sparkling water to dilute the turmeric, lemon and ginger flavours a bit more.

Pour your turmeric tonic into serving glasses and garnish each one with a cinnamon stick. We recommend enjoying this drink straight away, while the sparkling water is still chilled and fizzy! Alternatively, mix up the other ingredients in advance and leave them in the fridge. You can then pour a little into a glass and simply top it up with sparkling water every time you want a turmeric tonic. Perfect!

The wellness benefits of lemon and cinnamon

A splash of lemon is a wonderful way to add depth of flavour to this turmeric tonic. Indeed, the ingredient has long been a favourite to pair with ginger. But lemon has some wellbeing benefits of its own too. For instance, the fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, which plays several key roles in our health. These include supporting wound healing and collagen production.

Interestingly, drinking a lemon and turmeric tonic could assist with the absorption of non-haem iron (iron from plant sources). This is because lemons contain both vitamin C and citric acid. Together, these improve the body’s ability to absorb non-haem iron and thus reduce the risk of anaemia. Citric acid may also help to prevent kidney stones by increasing urine volume and pH.(15)

Turning to the garnish of cinnamon topping this turmeric tonic, it too has some impressive wellness benefits. As an example, this warming spice works to lower blood glucose levels.(16) Studies show that it can slow the breakdown of carbohydrates in the digestive system. This reduces the amount of sugar that enters your blood after you eat. What’s more, cinnamon contains a compound that improves the uptake of sugar into cells. Finally, the spice may improve insulin sensitivity, further supporting healthy blood glucose management.

Like many of the ingredients in this turmeric tonic, cinnamon has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The spice can also support cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.(17) Last but not least, cinnamon may help with the treatment of neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. However, we need further investigation to confirm its use in this regard.

Let’s talk about our organic turmeric powder

To get the maximum potential benefits from this turmeric tonic, the quality of your ingredients is key. That’s why we don’t just use any old turmeric from the supermarket. Instead, we source our organic turmeric powder directly from small, sustainable farms in India. Our team harvests the plants between January and March, then dries the roots naturally in the sun. The next step is to grind them into a fine powder, which we pack in environmentally friendly amber glass jars.

We take a number of steps to ensure that what you receive is the very finest turmeric. First, we have it tested independently to verify that the levels of curcumin it contains are sufficiently high. Second, we don’t mix in any unwanted additives. That means no artificial colourings or flavourings, no preservatives, and no bulking agents. Just 100% pure organic turmeric powder – as it should be.

We’re confident that you’ll love this turmeric tonic recipe as much as we do. However, it’s by no means the only way to enjoy this powerful ingredient. The traditional method is to mix a little into warm milk and add a dash of black pepper. This kind of golden milk recipe is particularly effective because black pepper increases the bioavailability of curcumin. In other words, it helps our body to absorb more of this active compound and harness its full potential.

Of course, you can also use turmeric in your cooking. It adds colour, warmth, and flavour to meals like curries, stews, rice dishes, and soups. You could even add some to your preferred juices and smoothies. We encourage you to engage in a little culinary experimentation and discover your favourite ways to utilise this potent spice.

Customising your turmeric tonic

This is only one possible incarnation of a turmeric tonic, and there are lots of options for customisation. Perhaps the most obvious is to add a sprinkle of black pepper to your glass. As we mentioned above, this helps you to get the most out of the curcumin in the drink. Along similar lines, you could stir a little cinnamon powder into your turmeric tonic for extra flavour and wellness benefits. Alternatively, up the heat levels with a dusting of cayenne pepper. Another idea we love is swapping the lemon for yuzu, or mixing both together for a more nuanced flavour profile.

If you want to emphasise the citrus in this lemon and turmeric tonic, try using lemonade instead of sparkling water. This retains the fizzy mouthfeel while enhancing the lemony sweetness. We recommend leaving out the honey or agave nectar if you go down this route. Otherwise, the drink might taste too sweet. Whether you use lemonade or sparkling water, make your turmeric tonic extra refreshing by pouring it over a glass filled with ice. For those who don’t want a fizzy drink, coconut water makes a great alternative to sparkling water.

One thing we really love about a turmeric tonic is that you can enjoy it at any time. Have it in the morning for a zesty and wellness-boosting start to your day. Brighten up your lunchtime with it, or use it as an afternoon pick-me-up. Serve it when you have friends over. Treat yourself to a glass with dessert. Need we go on?