Ashwagandha and Turmeric

Ashwagandha and Turmeric  Overview

Turmeric is a powerful medicinal herbal treatment that can help address a number of ailments in a natural healing way. Turmeric is part of the ginger family of plants and its rhizomes can be boiled and also powdered to be used as an ingredient in cooking or tea. The bright yellow orange color of turmeric comes from the main active component we seek in its healing abilities, curcumin! Turmeric can be combined with ashwagandha to create a potent mix of relaxing and energy boosting power!

Turmeric Benefits

What is turmeric good for? Turmeric is an excellent spice for adding flavor to savory dishes. Turmeric adds a pungent earthy mustard-like flavor that can be a bit bitter to food. Turmeric can also help alleviate the feeling of an overfull stomach, or the feeling of being flatulent. The active, and most studied ingredient in Turmeric is called curcumin and has shown promising results in a number of areas for health improvement.

Recent studies suggest that Turmeric has the following health benefits:

Potential Benefits of Turmeric and Ashwagandha

Turmeric has many promising potential benefits that need more research and study before we can confirm the effects. Here are the potential benefits that Turmeric may contain.

How much Turmeric should you take a day?

Speak with your Doctor before beginning any new health regimen or change to your diet. Turmeric has been shown to be safe and effective at usages of up to 1000mg total taken in two 500mg doses. Taking more than the recommended dose can lead to stomach discomfort and other unpleasant side effects. 

Is it good to take Turmeric everyday?

Turmeric has been shown to be a safe and effective supplement for daily consumption at higher doses (up to 1000mg total per day) for up to 30 days in a row. This high concentration of turmeric and its constituent chemicals including curcumin can lead to the benefits listed above. No longer term studies have documented the effects of taking extracted or daily powdered turmeric over the course of one’s entire life. 

Does Turmeric raise blood pressure?

Turmeric has not been shown to raise blood pressure - and in certain instances it has been shown to help regulate blood pressure. 

Turmeric and Ashwagandha Together?

There are no studies that isolate taking turmeric and ashwagandha together to study the direct effects of this combination - however multiple studies exist where this combination is present along with other Ayurvedic herbal treatments included. No studies indicate that taking ashwagandha and turmeric together can be harmful, but more clinical trials need to be conducted for conclusive evidence.

Yes you can take turmeric and ashwagandha together and they may be even better when combined! 

When Should You Take Ashwagandha and Turmeric?

Ashwagandha should be taken sometime in the beginning of your day, while turmeric can be enjoyed at any time of day. 

Can I take Ashwagandha and Turmeric Together with Milk?

Yes, you can mix ashwagandha and turmeric together with milk. Taking ashwagandha with something like golden milk containing turmeric would be a great combination - although we would recommend using something like the recipe below to mask the taste of ashwagandha on its own. Turmeric has an enjoyable savory flavor that can add a hint of balancing bitterness, and an earthy mustard like characteristic. Ashwagandha on the other hand can have an earthy and almost musky aroma that may not be as enjoyable to add to shakes or teas. We recommend taking an ashwagandha supplement like one of our recommended Ashwagandha Pills.

How to Prepare Turmeric Tea

Turmeric Tea is an easy to make solution for getting health, bioavailable and potently fresh turmeric into our systems. Mixing fresh lemon juice, turmeric and honey together can quickly give us a natural boost!

Turmeric tea can be prepared in two quick ways - with fresh turmeric or powdered turmeric. 

Turmeric and Ashwagandha Golden Milk Recipe:

Golden Milk is a classic boosting combination that combines the milk of your choice (local, organic, or nut!) with anti-inflammatory turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and your choice of sweetener (maple syrup or unprocessed raw honey recommended!)

Ingredients List:

• 2-3 cups of your choice of milk
• Local, sustainably collected dairy from happy cows if you can get it
• Full Fat Unsweetened Coconut Milk
• Full Fat Unsweetened Almond, Cashew or Oat Milk
• 1 Stick of Cinnamon for flavoring
• 1 Stick of Cinnamon to grate or grated cinnamon for garnishing
• 1 inch section of fresh sliced ginger - You can substitute with a ½ teaspoon of pre-ground ginger
• 2 inch section of fresh turmeric
• Can substitute with 1 ½ teaspoon of pre-ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• Raw honey or organic maple syrup for sweetening 
• Powdered Ashwagandha (depending on concentration 500-1000mg)

How to Prepare Ashwagandha Turmeric Golden Milk 

1. Heat your milk of choice, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon stick, coconut oil and black pepper in a small pan.
2. Stir constantly until thoroughly heated - make sure to avoid boiling the concoction! The liquid should be steaming but not boiling, this will help infuse all of the beneficial and delicious flavors without spoiling any of the key ingredients
3. Taste test and adjust sweetness levels with your choice of natural sweetener (we love raw honey for its additional probiotics - and maple syrup can add a touch of fall inspiration!)
4. Strain the mixture into your favorite mugs to remove the fresh ginger, turmeric and cinnamon stick
5. Add a dash of cinnamon powder to the top to add some color contrast
6. Enjoy! Full of powerful antioxidants and delicious - enjoy this healthy boost

Turmeric Pills

Turmeric comes in a convenient pill form that is both easy to store and consume for its many benefits. It also comes mixed with other natural botanicals and herbs that have healing and beneficial properties, take a look at our Ashwagandha Pills full article  to find the right pill for you.

Ashwagandha and Turmeric Comparison Chart

Different Kinds of Turmeric

Many different kinds of turmeric exist all over the world - different geographical areas have seen multiple unique cultivars discovered and species of turmeric evolve to adapt to the local growing regions.

Fresh Turmeric vs. Turmeric Powder

Turmeric can be used both fresh and in powdered forms - fresh turmeric has the appearance of a small nubby root and its powdered form is a yellow to orange or mustard like color. 

Fresh Turmeric contains living probiotics and differing levels of key ingredients such as curcumin, while powdered turmeric contains less living probiotics and a more standardized and sometimes tested level of curcumins. We recommend having a bag of powdered turmeric on hand for those times when you need something quick and easy that doesn’t require any preparation - and we also recommend stopping by the best location in your area for locally sourced organic foods because they are sure to have fresh turmeric. Don’t worry about buying store bought turmeric from a grocery store chain if that is all you have available to you - enjoy the benefits of a nice golden milk or flavoring a dish!

References

Labban, L. (2014). Medicinal and pharmacological properties of Turmeric (Curcuma longa): A review. Int J Pharm Biomed Sci, 5(1), 17-23.