04 MINUTES TO SINK POST-GYM PAIN WITH A TURMERIC LATTE
These are strange times indeed when a hot beverage could reasonably be hailed as an ‘Instagram star’. For the rising popularity of the turmeric latte can only be attributed to those aching to bring some colour to their social feeds, rather than any alleged flavour benefits. Even so, while MH still favours an old-fashioned French press for a morning pick-me-up, it seems this latest trend has merits beyond increasing the number of “Cool page ” comments you attract.
A clinical trial published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that turmeric can be as effective as ibuprofen for pain relief. In the study, participants with arthritis who took 1.5g of the spice daily for four weeks reported less discomfort than those taking traditional meds, plus they swerved the associated heartharming side effects. Further research showed that curcumin – the active ingredient in turmeric – reduces muscle soreness after leg-press exercises, as well as lowering blood markers for muscle damage, compared to a placebo.
Save yourself the £3.90 cost of a trending latte (and the embarrassment of having to actually order the damn thing) and heat a cup of milk on the hob for four minutes, stirring in a teaspoon of turmeric, pinch of cinnamon and crack of black pepper, which happens to increase curcumin bioavailability by 2000%. Then hashtag that.