Supplements you use

[sittingandforgetting]

I had my genetics done. They showed a need for Riboflavin, Molybdenum, and Biotin. I do not take them everyday, except the Riboflavin. Those three changed my life, specifically the Molybdenum.

 

To know your genetics is to know a bit of your self since it will most likely dictate our genetic dietary ancestry.

[thelerner]

I had my genetics done. They showed a need for Riboflavin, Molybdenum, and Biotin. I do not take them everyday, except the Riboflavin. Those three changed my life, specifically the Molybdenum.

 

To know your genetics is to know a bit of your self since it will most likely dictate our genetic dietary ancestry.

Any particular company you used?  ie swab and mail kind of place?  

If you have time, what else did it go into, how deeply into ancestry? 

[thelerner]

Hi guys.

Can anyone recommend something very effective for short periods of intense studying?

Pushups and squats, easy sets.  Not a pill, but they get the blood moving and that helps mind, memory and wakefulness. 

[C T]

Hi guys.

Can anyone recommend something very effective for short periods of intense studying?

Will shizandra improve remembering?

I'm only using green tea at the moment, but that might not be enough.

I know my main problem is stressing out before exams huh, but chamomile in turn kind of makes me lazy. I need to be alert but calm. So something passively enhancing memory would be best.

 

Of course I take B, C and magnesium chloride too.

 

Cocoa maybe?

CoQ10.

Flax oil (ground your own from seeds).

Fish oil from trusted source

 

Lots of anti-oxidants because the brain generates lots of free radicals, in fact more per gram of tissue than any other organ

 

For natural brain-boosting foods, try increasing intake of brocolli, kale, squash & pumpkin

 

 

 

ps. Forgot to mention Black sesame seeds!! Do some research on this. Its really a super health booster.

Edited January 20, 2017 by C T

[sittingandforgetting]

Any particular company you used?  ie swab and mail kind of place?  

If you have time, what else did it go into, how deeply into ancestry? 

 

 

I used 23andme.com and got my raw data. I then researched Nutritional Genomics for about 5 years. I also saw that my genetic ancestry comes mainly from the Baltic region which is shown in the 23andme website and in my genetics as a tendency to need to eat fish to get Omega 3.

 

I have a rare mutation in my Monoamine Oxidase gene (which needs Riboflavin as a cofactor) as well as many of the Molybdenum dependent genes like Sulfite Oxidase. Also my Fatty Acid Desaturase genes are like those of Eskimos.

Edited January 21, 2017 by sittingandforgetting

[sittingandforgetting]

Hi guys.

Can anyone recommend something very effective for short periods of intense studying?

Will shizandra improve remembering?

I'm only using green tea at the moment, but that might not be enough.

I know my main problem is stressing out before exams huh, but chamomile in turn kind of makes me lazy. I need to be alert but calm. So something passively enhancing memory would be best.

 

Of course I take B, C and magnesium chloride too.

 

Cocoa maybe?

 

If you are stressing too much before the exam you need to stop looking at the target. 

[Papayapple]

CoQ10.

Flax oil (ground your own from seeds).

Fish oil from trusted source

 

Lots of anti-oxidants because the brain generates lots of free radicals, in fact more per gram of tissue than any other organ

 

For natural brain-boosting foods, try increasing intake of brocolli, kale, squash & pumpkin

 

 

 

ps. Forgot to mention Black sesame seeds!! Do some research on this. Its really a super health booster.

Lot's of brocolli and kale, I eat everyday.

 

I was thinking things like Ashwagandha, Brahmi, Gotu Kola etc.

Could there be any cons of using these herbs/roots?

[C T]

Lot's of brocolli and kale, I eat everyday.

 

I was thinking things like Ashwagandha, Brahmi, Gotu Kola etc.

Could there be any cons of using these herbs/roots?

Sorry, no experience with any of them

[C T]

Roots i use/consume regularly are fresh ginger, turmeric, coriander, galanggal - for soups, stews, broths, stir fries, curries. 

[Papayapple]

Sorry, no experience with any of them

Thanks anyway!

 

Just checked on black sesame seeds. Google chart tells me:

% are daily values in 100g.

Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 97% Iron 81% Vitamin D 0% Vitamin B-6 40% Vitamin B-12 0% Magnesium 87%

800mg per 100g is the highest of any food I've heard of.

That's great news to me, as I've been looking for a good non dairy source of calcium! Lot's of magnesium and iron too.

 

I suppose these should be soaked overnight in the fridge for better absorption?

[C T]

Thanks anyway!

 

Just checked on black sesame seeds. Google chart tells me:

% are daily values in 100g.

Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 97% Iron 81% Vitamin D 0% Vitamin B-6 40% Vitamin B-12 0% Magnesium 87%

800mg per 100g is the highest of any food I've heard of.

That's great news to me, as I've been looking for a good non dairy source of calcium! Lot's of magnesium and iron too.

 

I suppose these should be soaked overnight in the fridge for better absorption?

Soaking them overnight -yes, but i just do it at room temp. 

 

Sometimes i just sprinkle them generously, without soaking, on rice just after its cooked, or on salads, scrambled eggs, etc.

 

In many places its made into a sweet paste and used as an offering on the altar. The gods like it too 

[C T]

Just recently started to try supplementing with an alcohol-free tincture of Chaga mushrooms. 

Too early to note any effect yet.

[kbe]

I make a smoothie for early morning breakfast in the blender 3-4 times a week using 12 oz 14% fat coconut milk, 4 oz Pom Wonderful pomegranite juice, 2 pitted madjul dates, 6-8 blueberries and a half teaspoon of date seed powder.

 

I also take 1600mg nano particled curcumin in capsule form several times a week along with a select few vitamin capsules such as 2000mg vitamin D3, 200mg standardized silymarin and 200mg ubiquinal

Edited January 22, 2017 by kbe

[Taomeow]

Just recently started to try supplementing with an alcohol-free tincture of Chaga mushrooms. 

Too early to note any effect yet.

 

Chaga is alive/dormant much like, e.g., dry brewer's yeast, or as yogurt or kefir or beer cultures, and needs to be prepared by a method that brings it to life -- it's active in this state, and the nontraditional methods to use it (as tinctures, etc.) are there, I suspect, for commercial purposes only.  You would want the actual mushroom, and you pour warm water over it and ferment it for 48 hours, usually it's successfully done in a thermos.

Edited January 22, 2017 by Taomeow

[C T]

Chaga is alive/dormant much like, e.g., dry brewer's yeast, or as yogurt or kefir or beer cultures, and needs to be prepared by a method that brings it to life -- it's active in this state, and the nontraditional methods to use it (as tinctures, etc.) are there, I suspect, for commercial purposes only.  You would want the actual mushroom, and you pour warm water over it and ferment it for 48 hours, usually it's successfully done in a thermos.

Thank you for the info, Taomeow. 

 

Apparently Chaga is unique because of this: 

 

 

Why Do We Need To Prepare Chaga?

Locked inside the cell walls of chaga are all the healthy bioactive ingredients, such as the beta-glucans.

These cell walls are made of chitin, which is the hardest all-natural material known to man and, therefore, indigestible without proper preparation.

This means that an extraction process is required in order to release these bioactive ingredients and to prepare chaga for human consumption.

 

 

 

 

Apparently the ideal way to draw out the goodness of chaga is through a complex process of alcohol/hot water extraction because of the immense hardness of the chitin. 

Edited January 23, 2017 by C T

[Taomeow]

 

Thank you for the info, Taomeow. 

 

Apparently Chaga is unique because of this: 

 

 

 

Apparently the ideal way to draw out the goodness of chaga is through a complex process of alcohol/hot water extraction because of the immense hardness of the chitin. 

 

 

Sorry to contradict your source but --

 

Chitin may be immensely hard when it is immensely thick, but it is what a shrimp's shell is made of --

and shrimp ain't no unobtainium.  In fungal cells (all of them, including chaga's), unlike in shrimps, two substances are combined, chitin and glucans.  Glucans in mushrooms are not "locked inside" the cell wall, they are the cell wall component, and nothing dissolves the cell wall better than the process of fermentation. 

 

For medicinal mushrooms that do not require or do not allow fermentation (and do contain beta glucans, chaga is not unique in that) the traditional process is to boil them (for a long time and in fragments if it's a hard mushroom like reishi), and then the brew is either consumed or, more often, turned into a water soluble concentrate, in the form of the (final outcome) powder or granules.  I've done this myself.  You pour the brew into a shallow pan and keep it in the oven on low till the liquid evaporates, then you dry off and scrape off the sediment, then you powder it and (if you like and are equipped) granulate it.  But this is not done with chaga.   

[C T]

Sorry to contradict your source but --

 

Chitin may be immensely hard when it is immensely thick, but it is what a shrimp's shell is made of --

and shrimp ain't no unobtainium.  In fungal cells (all of them, including chaga's), unlike in shrimps, two substances are combined, chitin and glucans.  Glucans in mushrooms are not "locked inside" the cell wall, they are the cell wall component, and nothing dissolves the cell wall better than the process of fermentation. 

 

For medicinal mushrooms that do not require or do not allow fermentation (and do contain beta glucans, chaga is not unique in that) the traditional process is to boil them (for a long time and in fragments if it's a hard mushroom like reishi), and then the brew is either consumed or, more often, turned into a water soluble concentrate, in the form of the (final outcome) powder or granules.  I've done this myself.  You pour the brew into a shallow pan and keep it in the oven on low till the liquid evaporates, then you dry off and scrape off the sediment, then you powder it and (if you like and are equipped) granulate it.  But this is not done with chaga.   

Im learning! 

[Taomeow]

Im learning! 

 

Aren't the best of us we all!

Edited January 23, 2017 by Taomeow

[Antares]

 I've done this myself.  You pour the brew into a shallow pan and keep it in the oven on low till the liquid evaporates, then you dry off and scrape off the sediment, then you powder it and (if you like and are equipped) granulate it.  But this is not done with chaga.   

 

It is actually done. 

http://en.biochaga.ru

[Gerard]

You need TREE love and a caring IMA teacher. Supplements will soon after vanish from your life.

 

They are modern life mind poisons like most things.

[silent thunder]

I've been using a lot of water these days.

 

It's perhaps the most potent supplement, aside from air.

[Taomeow]

Sweet dreams are made of cheese

Who am I to dis a Brie
I Cheddar the world and Gruyere agrees   
Everybody’s looking for Stilton

[thelerner]

FWIW on the ETSY website, on The RuralApothecary store, today I ordered another 4 oz of Pine Pollen tincture, really like it. A good adaptogen and I think it raises my testosterone.  I also ordered Fo Ti also known as He shou wu.  There's a little more grey coming in on top.  I wonder if 'Wu's Black Hair' herbal tonic can do something about that?

 

The Pine Pollen tincture is fairly expensive, $40 for 4 oz, but it lasts me a few months.  I like that it's wild crafted, native to a pristine area in the U.S and they use 1-1, a long strong 'brewing' period (or so they say).  The Fo Ti seems about average in price.

 

I bought their Turmeric & Ginger Tincture which was inexpensive, but those are such common herbs that I may as well chop up the roots myself, dunk'em in vodka and make a batch.   Too often we don't value the common.  Undoubtedly if carrots or grapes were 'found' today, they'd be hyped as amazing super foods.   Turmeric and Ginger probably fall into that category of unusually healthy but so common its ignored in favor of ginsengs.  

 

FWIW here are benefits of Turmeric - just found this article when I double checked the spelling

https://draxe.com/turmeric-benefits/

 

10 Turmeric Benefits: Superior to Medications?

Turmeric, the main spice in curry, is arguably the most powerful herb on the planet at fighting and potentially reversing disease. It has so many healing properties that currently there have been 6,235 peer-reviewed articles published proving the benefits of turmeric and one of its renowned healing compounds curcumin.

 

This puts turmeric on top of the list as one of the most frequently mentioned medicinal herbs in all of science and the next most popular studied herbs include garlic, cinnamon, ginseng, ginger and milk thistle.

 

Of the 6000+ studies referencing curcumin, the most interesting finding is that when turmeric is compared to conventional medicine its benefits equal that of many pharmaceutical medications. 

 

In fact, a number of studies have even reported that using curcumin is more advantageous than certain prescription drugs.

Health Benefits of Turmeric

When examining the research, turmeric benefits go beyond that of these 10 drugs:

• Anti-inflammatory drugs
• Anti-depressants (Prozac)
• Chemotherapy
• Anti-coagulants (Aspirin)
• Pain killers
• Diabetes drugs (Metformin)
• Arthritis medications
• Inflammatory bowel disease drugs
• Cholesterol drugs (Lipitor)
• Steroids

Now let’s jump deeper into the research on turmeric benefits at potentially reversing specific diseases.

Turmeric Benefits Trump Medications

Although the list is much longer, we’ve selected 10 drugs that pale in comparison to turmeric in potentially reversing disease. As you read this report, keep in mind that one of the most powerful advantages curcumin has over the traditional medical approach is the lack of side effects.

 

1. Anticoagulants/Antiplatelets

Medical intervention generally includes the following medications to slow and prevent blood clotting:

• Aspirin
• Clopidogrel (Plavix)
• Diclofenac
• Enoxaparin (Lovenox)
• Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others)
• Naproxen
• Warfarin (Coumadin), and others.

Unfortunately, for people with conditions that are treated by these drugs (i.e. deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism), this approach may not always be the wisest decision. Ibuprofen overdose is one such common problem. In addition to common side effects like excessive bleeding and hemorrhage, the risks associated with anticoagulants abound and include everything from back pain to headaches to difficulty breathing.

 

Turmeric, on the other hand, has relatively no known side effects unless taken in extremely excessive amounts.

Additionally, ever since several groundbreaking studies in the mid-1980s, the curcumin in turmeric has been suggested by researchers as actually being a better option for those with vascular thrombosis.

 

2. Anti-depressants

Although few studies have been conducted on humans, dozens of research trials have proven that turmeric is especially effective in correcting depression symptoms in laboratory animals.

To address this issue, the journal Phytotherapy Research published the results of an amazing, innovative study this past year.  The study took 60 volunteers diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD), such as manic depression, and split the group to determine how patients treated by curcumin fared against fluoxetine (Prozac) and a combination of the two. 

Not only was it discovered that all patients tolerated curcumin well, but they discovered curcumin was as effective as Prozac in managing depression.

 

According to the authors, “This study provides first clinical evidence that curcumin may be used as an effective and safe therapy for treatment in patients with Mild Depression.”

 

3. Anti-inflammatories

Arguably, the most powerful aspect of curcumin is its ability to control inflammation. 

The journal Oncogene published the results of a study that evaluated several anti-inflammatory compounds and found that aspirin and ibuprofen are least effective, while curcumin, is among the most effective anti-inflammatory compounds in the world. 

This news should have reached every household in the world after the study was conducted because inflammation puts people at risk for almost every disease process known to man.

Diseases today such as cancer, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, high cholesterol and chronic pain can be the result of inflammation.

 

As you will see below in several other articles related to chronic illness, keep this in the back of your mind: Turmeric’s key to disease reversal may be its ability to keep inflammation at bay.

 

4. Arthritis management 

Because curcumin is known for its powerful anti-inflammatory and pain reducing characteristics, a study was conducted on 45 rheumatoid arthritis patients to compare the benefits of curcumin in turmeric to arthritis drugs (diclofenac sodium), that put people at risk of developing leaky gut and heart disease.

The study split these volunteers into three groups: curcumin treatment alone, diclofenac sodium alone, and a combination of the two. The results of the trial were eye-opening:

The curcumin group showed the highest percentage of improvement in overall [Disease Activity Score] scores and these scores were significantly better than the patients in the diclofenac sodium group. More importantly, curcumin treatment was found to be safe and did not relate with any adverse events. Our study provides the first evidence for the safety and superiority of curcumin treatment in patients with active RA, and highlights the need for future large-scale trials to validate these findings in patients with RA and other arthritic conditions.

Published by Phytotherapy Research in 2012, the results of this study has encouraged more human research to evaluate the amazing effects curcumin-rich plants like turmeric has on people suffering from various different types of arthritis.

 

5. Cancer treatment 

Of all the various topics scientists have tackled in regards to the curcumin and disease reversal, cancer (of various types) is one of the most thoroughly researched topics. In the words of global authorities like Cancer Research UK,

A number of laboratory studies on cancer cells have shown that curcumin does have anticancer effects. It seems to be able to kill cancer cells and prevent more from growing. It has the best effects on breast cancer, bowel cancer, stomach cancer and skin cancer cells. 

 

A 2007 American study that combined curcumin with chemotherapy to treat bowel cancer cells in a laboratory showed that the combined treatment killed more cancer cells than the chemotherapy alone. 

States-side, the American Cancer Society states,

 

Laboratory studies have also shown that curcumin interferes with cancer development, growth, and spread. Researchers have reported that curcumin blocked the formation of cancer-causing enzymes in rodents.

Recently, curcumin has received a great deal of focus because of it’s ability to reduce tumor size and kill cancer cells.

Bottom line: Turmeric works incredibly well to help naturally treat cancer and is especially effective at treating breast cancer, colon cancer and skin cancer.

 

6. Diabetes management 

For lowering blood sugar and reversing insulin resistance there’s arguably no better natural treatment than adding turmeric into your diet.

 

In 2009, Biochemistry and Biophysical Research Communications published a study out of Auburn University that explored how supplementing with turmeric can help reverse diabetes.

 

The study discovered that curcumin in turmeric is literally 400 times more potent than Metformin (a common diabetes drug) in activating AMPK which improves insulin sensitivity which can help reverse Type 2 Diabetes.

 

In addition to correcting the causes of diabetes, curcumin has also been proven to help reverse many of the issues related to insulin resistance and hyperglycemia.

 

Take, for instance, diabetic neuropathy and retinopathy. One of the most common complications of diabetes is damaged blood vessels which cause blindness.

 

A study found that supplementing with curcumin can delay this horrible complication of diabetes because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

 

7. Gastrointestinal treatments

Oftentimes, people with digestive and stomach complaints become intolerant to medical interventions because the stomach flora is already compromised and drugs can literally tear up the mucosal lining.

An in-depth analysis of all the studies evaluating curcumin’s ability to manage inflammatory bowel disease (IBS, Crohn’s disease, and Ulcerative Colitis) found that many patients were able to stop taking their prescribed corticosteroids because their condition improved so dramatically by taking curcumin! 

 

For many patients with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) corticosteroids reduce their pain symptoms, but damage the intestinal lining over time actually making the condition worse.

However, supplementing with curcumin did not have these side effects and, because of its anti-inflammatory properties, actually helped heal the gut and supported the growth of good bacteria (probiotics).

 

8. Cholesterol regulators 

One of the reasons heart disease is such a problem in the U.S. is that people are developing pre-diabetes (excessive blood sugar) at an alarming rate.

In turn, diabetics and non-diabetics alike are suffering from a common complication called oxidative stress, which damages the inside of blood vessels.  Because of this damage to the arteries, cholesterol begins to build up to patch up the damaged areas which leads to high levels of LDL cholesterol. 

 

Traditionally, statin drugs (like Lipitor) are widely known to harm the kidneys and liver and cause a number of deadly side effects.  They do bring cholesterol down but never address that actual cause which is oxidative stress that is caused by high blood sugar levels and inflammation.

 

Thankfully, medical doctors are becoming more and more aware of the dangerous side effects of statin-drugs and prescribing natural alternatives like curcumin and fish oil instead!

 

A study done by Drugs in R & D found that curcumin was equal or more effective than diabetes medications at reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in the treatment of high cholesterol.

 

Studies like these are causing pharmaceutical companies to try and design a synthetic form of curcumin that unfortunately, will not work as well as the real thing.

9. Painkillers 

One of the more widely accepted properties of curcumin in scientific communities is its ability to manage pain.

Just this past year the European Journal of Pharmacology published research that discovered curcumin naturally activates the opioid system in diabetic rats. Typically manipulated by drugs, this natural process serves as the body’s inherent pain-relieving response. 

 

Not being limited to diabetic pain conditions, an interesting study also published late last year gives us a clue as to the wide array of pain conditions that can be treated by curcumin.

 

Take, for instance, severe burns. Typically, burn victims are treated by dangerous opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories. However, because of its anti-inflammatory benefits, U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research suggests that, curcumin should be used to treat burns instead of these conventional medications.

 

The trend should becoming clear at this point. Therapeutic use of turmeric and other curcumin-rich plants are displacing conventional medical treatments and proving it’s a legitimate natural painkiller.

0. Steroids 

Lastly, we’ll take a look at how turmeric benefits the many conditions normally treated by corticosteroids such as:

• Psoriasis
• Lupus
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Scleroderma
• Chronic pain                                                                                                                                                                               

In a 1999 breakthrough clinical study, it was found that curcumin has the ability to cure chronic inflammation of the eye.  Typically this condition was only treated with steroids but today it’s common for medical doctors who practice functional medicine to prescribe curcumin instead.

 

What cannot be overstated, however, is that although statistically “comparable” to steroids in managing and reversing chronic disease, “The lack of side effects with curcumin is its greatest advantage compared with corticosteroids,” as stated by the authors in the above study out of K.G. Medical College.

 

To give you a sense of the amount of suffering alleviated by curcumin, the following is a sample of steroid side effects listed by the UK’s National Health Services (NHS):

• Acne
• Asthma
• Cancer
• Cataracts
• Delayed wound healing
• Diabetes onset
• Glaucoma
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Increased appetite (oftentimes leading to increased weight)
• Indigestion
• Insomnia
• Kidney and thyroid issues
• Mood disturbances (including aggression, irritability, and rapid mood swings mimicking bipolar disorder)
• Muscle weakness
• Nausea
• Risk of infection
• Stunted growth in children
• Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
• Thinning skin (leading to easy bruising)

Ultimately, when taking into account the large amount of deadly complications these 10 drugs puts your body at risk for, it is easy to see how taking therapeutic curcumin is superior to most medicines.

If you have any of the diseases above, you will want to consider this natural approach first. For those of you who aren’t sick, taking turmeric will serve you well as a preventative measure.

Turmeric Side Effects

Some people have reported allergic reactions to turmeric, especially after skin exposure. Typically this is experienced as a mild, itchy rash. In addition, high doses of turmeric have been observed to cause:

• Diarrhea
• Increased risk of bleeding
• Increased liver function tests
• Hyperactive gallbladder contractions
• Hypotension (lowered blood pressure)
• Uterine contractions in pregnant women
• Increased menstrual flow

People taking certain medications should also be careful when using turmeric in their food or supplementing with it. Turmeric may interfere with anti-coagulants like aspirin, clopidogrel and warfarin. It also can affect medications such as non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs. As with any herb or supplement, use as directed.

 

If you’re in the position where you must be on prescription medications, don’t discount the need to include ample amounts of fresh, organic turmeric into your diets because it will help reduce the adverse affects of the medicine.

 

A study that was published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology describes how combing curcumin with prednisolone (a steroid) effectively reduces the side effects of this dangerous medication.

 

Turmeric Recipes

One of my favorite recipes for including turmeric benefits into your diet is turmeric tea “liquid gold”.

Also, consuming turmeric eggs for breakfast and curried carrot soup is an excellent way to get more turmeric in your diet.

 

Amazingly, anti-arthritic activity and a marked reduction in steroid toxicity was seen when supplementing with curcumin.  At the end of the day, the research speaks for itself and we cannot think of one reason why EVERYONE shouldn’t be taking some form of turmeric every day.

 

Whether as a supplement or a spice to flavor your food, you will certainly be satisfied with turmeric benefits for your body!

 

 

Me: after reading all that, I'll definitely brew up a batch.  Turmeric- liquid gold indeed.    No need to go crazy with it, but a spoonful(or dropper) a day, putting the tincture under the tongue so it avoids digestive acids, may be a cheap easu way to protect against so many inflammatory diseases that plague modern society. 

[Taomeow]

The Ayurvedic recipe with turmeric I like is golden milk.  I only buy raw whole milk, in summer I make kefir with it, in winter I make golden milk.  I never use pasteurized homogenized milk, and those who can't tolerate it at all can substitute coconut milk.  Here's the recipe: Whisk milk, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, honey, coconut oil (or butter or ghee, which is what I use), black pepper, and a spoonful of sugar (optional) in a small saucepan; bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.  If I don't have patience for this, I skip the simmer stage and just add everything to milk and bring to a boil and strain.  

 

The benefits: by itself turmeric is not all that bioavailable, but in combo with other spices, notably black pepper (due to pepperin-curcurmin biochemical love affair), and fat, it becomes massively more so -- something like 24,000 times more so if I remember correctly and if the study that asserted it wasn't lying.  What is definitely true is that single-item formulas are extremely rare in Chinese, Ayurvedic, and many other traditions I've studied.  If you liken your body to a piano, one herb is like one note you press --  miiiiii... ...one sound effect.  A good traditional formula is a symphony.

 

Also if it's orange or red, whatever it is, fat will improve its absorption, because all carotenoids are fat soluble and become vastly more bioavailable in the presence of fat.  

[Vajra Fist]

You shouldn't heat honey or put in a hot drink. An ayurvedic doctor I consult with once warned me on that front as when heated it becomes indigestible and clogs up the body.

 

But yes, love golden milk (although I do it the other way, but making a paste and mixing it with the milk later on).

Edited February 28, 2017 by Vajra Fist