CURCUMIN TALE
AN UNNAMED OPTION TO CAFFEINE-RICH BEVERAGES
Looking for a good beverage as an option for caffeine-rich coffee and which is high in nutritional value? Graduate students at University of Georgia are presenting one at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). They have come up with a beverage (still unnamed) that incorporates the bioactive compound curcumin found in turmeric into plant-based milks like soy milk that are equal in nutritional value to cow’s milk.
Curcumin is a polyphenol that studied for its potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. But it’s difficult to separate from turmeric. So the researchers added turmeric to an alkaline solution, allowing the high pH to make curcumin more soluble and easier to extract than in plain water. Then they neutralized the pH to achieve a pseudo-golden milk.
But to enhance its preservative capacity, they dehydrated the solution through freeze-drying to produce an instant golden milk powder that can be had with soy milk. This method to extract curcumin is more efficient than any other, and it also encapsulates the curcumin in oil droplets within the soy milk. When consumed, the body recognises the curcumin with soy milk as fat and digests it, making it more bioavailable, or likely to be absorbed and able to have a positive effect in the body.
Curcumin encapsulation protects it from air and water, providing it a longer shelf-life. The researchers hope that this work can help explain the chemistry behind what may seem like nothing more than a simple beverage, as well as improve that drink’s nutritional value and convenience for those who enjoy it. The beverage scene is truly changing, and it’s no longer just about stimulation, but about nutrition as well.