By now, you would have heard about the superfood that is turmeric. Most of this spice is produced in South Asia, and it has been used for centuries in ancient Asian holistic practices including Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and Perso-Arabic Unani medicine. With its slightly bitter pepper flavor and mustard-scent, this powder is a common additive to South Asian cuisine for both its taste and health benefits, and it has recently been lauded as an easy, excellent way for a person to maintain their health. The spice has found its way into teas, lattes, capsule supplements, butters and even cocktails, and all for good reason.

Turmeric is a Superfood

Turmeric has become such a powerhouse because of curcumin, a chemical compound that carries most of its benefits. The curcumin in turmeric is one of several curcuminoid compounds present in the spice, and it is what gives the powder its signature bright yellow color.

The Health Benefits of Turmeric Tea

Turmeric tea is an easy, delicious way to ingest this compound. Curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory, so drinking turmeric tea is an excellent and natural way to ease some of the pain faced by arthritic patients who grapple with joint inflammation.

Some reports say that turmeric can boost energy levels, which would make it a viable replacement for drinks such as coffee. In fact, drinking turmeric tea instead of coffee should help control the negative side effects that can result from too much caffeine, such as headaches, anxiety and insomnia.

The curcumin in turmeric may improve brain function, boost heart health, may even help prevent the development of certain cancerous cells and ease symptoms of depression. But in addition to the numerous health benefits it provides, drinking turmeric tea may also be a safe and consistent way to lose weight. Drinking the beverage on an empty stomach first thing in the morning is the best way to enjoy your brew, allowing the superfood to accelerate your body’s natural digestion process, increase your metabolism, and slow the growth of fatty tissue.

How to Prepare Turmeric Tea

Turmeric tea can be made at home by grating half a teaspoon of fresh turmeric root (or taking the same amount of turmeric powder) into a pot of water, adding some black pepper, and setting it to heat on the stove. Black pepper contains an alkaloid called piperine that naturally increases our body’s absorption of turmeric. After letting the mixture come to the boil, lower the heat and let your tea simmer for ten minutes, and then pour it into your mug while it’s piping hot.

However, the entire process of making turmeric tea from scratch can quickly become cumbersome. Nature’s Rare offers conveniently packaged sachets of organic turmeric and black pepper, sourced straight from the lush fields of Sri Lanka, which makes brewing your morning cup of turmeric tea a breeze. Simply drop a sachet of their Hot Turmeric Brew into a cup of hot water for a few minutes, and it’s good to go.

Of course, you can make your turmeric tea even more beneficial for your health by adding a few more natural ingredients from around your kitchen. For instance, a splash of fresh lemon juice will give your turmeric tea some zest and vitamin C; some grated ginger to the mix will provide you with a drink that’s great for digestion, improves heart health and could lower cholesterol levels.

You could also make a drink known as Golden Milk by adding some healthy fats to your tea. Simply steep your turmeric teabag in full-fat cow’s milk or coconut milk (or use a low-fat plant-based milk, and add a teaspoon of almond oil or coconut oil). Curcumin is fat-soluble, and with a fat to bind itself to, the compound has a far better chance of being absorbed into your bloodstream and giving you all its wonderfully healthy benefits.