The Dallas Morning News

Is ‘turmeric milk’ legit? How do you make it?

- PEOPLE’S PHARMACY JOE & TERESA GRAEDON peoplespha­rmacy.com

Is there such a thing as “turmeric milk”? I have a friend who says it has been helpful to ease arthritic stiffness, pain and inflammati­on. How much do you use, and what kind of milk do you mix it in? Can you use nondairy “milk”?

Turmeric milk, also called golden milk, is a time-honored remedy from the Ayurvedic tradition. Readers who grew up in India or whose families came from that part of the world have often told us that they use turmeric milk to calm coughs as well as for joint or muscle pain.

You can use regular milk or a plant-based milk substitute. It should have at least a little fat in it, as the turmeric will be absorbed better. There are various recipes, but a ratio of 1 teaspoon turmeric to 8 ounces of warm milk is a good start. A pinch of black pepper (to aid absorption) and honey to taste are common additions.

You will find detailed instructio­ns on this remedy, along with recipes for turmeric avocado toast and turmeric scramble, in our book “Spice Up Your Health: How Everyday Kitchen Herbs & Spices Can Lengthen & Strengthen Your Life.” If your public library does not have a copy, you can find it at Peoplespha­rmacy.com.

Turmeric is the yellow spice in curry, and it is generally safe. However, some people are allergic to it and may develop rashes. They should avoid it. So should individual­s on anticoagul­ant medication­s, as we have received reports that it may interact with warfarin.

My doctor has recommende­d Ozempic for treating my Type 2 diabetes. Previously, the medication­s I tried had unpleasant side effects and were not very effective. My A1c went over 8 when I was on metformin.

Even though I have been watching my diet, my doctor says I need a diabetes drug to get my A1c down. What can you tell me about Ozempic?

Ozempic (semaglutid­e) was approved for Type 2 diabetes in 2017. It has some advantages over other medication­s because it helps control blood glucose, reduces cardiovasc­ular problems and leads to weight loss.

Because there has been so much publicity about semaglutid­e for weight loss, some doctors have been prescribin­g it off-label to individual­s without diabetes. That has led to drug shortages. theory has been that Alzheimer’s disease is caused by a buildup of amyloid plaque in the brain. But most of the drugs created to reduce amyloid have been disappoint­ing. The latest failure was reported by the Eli Lilly company on March 8, 2023. Its experiment­al antiamyloi­d drug solanezuma­b did not prevent cognitive decline.

Some scientists believe that beta amyloid may actually be how the brain protects itself from infection (the “pathogen I’ve had herpes for over 35 hypothesis of Alzheimer’s”). years and taken acyclovir to Herpes was proposed as one suppress it for nearly that possible culprit over four decades long. When I miss my medication, ago (Canadian Journal I can perceive cognitive of Neurologic­al Sciences, August impairment. It clearly 1982). makes a difference in how Epidemiolo­gical data from alert I am and how well I can Taiwan shows that people with perform. a history of herpes are more

My mother-in-law is suffering likely to develop dementia. from Alzheimer’s. Her Those who took antiviral medication­s doctor agreed to put her on had a “decreased risk of daily acyclovir, and she has dementia” (Neurothera­peutics, improved. Is there any research April 2018). Two studies are to support antiviral currently underway to test drugs against Alzheimer’s whether the anti-herpes drug disease? valacyclov­ir (Valtrex) can delay

Thank you for sharing your or prevent the developmen­t of story. For decades, the predominan­t dementia.

To learn more about the pros and cons of Ozempic and many other medicines for Type 2 diabetes, you may wish to read our “eguide to Preventing and Treating Diabetes.” This online resource may be found under the Health eguides tab at Peoplespha­rmacy.com. Side effects of semaglutid­e include serious digestive upset including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, gallbladde­r problems and pancreatit­is.

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