Most golden milk blends start and stop with turmeric. Sol starts there and adds five more ingredients, each one chosen for how it tastes in the cup and what it's known for. Here they are in label order, from most to least.
Turmeric, from Karnataka, India
Turmeric is the base of every cup. It gives Sol its colour and its earthy, slightly bitter depth.
Turmeric supports the body's natural inflammatory response. Its active compound, curcumin, is one of the most studied plant compounds in the world. A 2024 review of 54 meta-analyses of clinical trials found that curcumin lowered the inflammation marker CRP in seven of the ten analyses that measured it. (Lee and Kim, Nutrients, 2024)
The drink is much older than the research. Golden milk comes from haldi doodh, turmeric warmed in milk, which Indian families have made for generations.
Ceylon cinnamon, from Sri Lanka
Ceylon is true cinnamon. It's softer and sweeter than cassia, the cinnamon most supermarkets sell, and its natural sweetness is a big part of why Original needs no added sweetener.
It's also rich in naturally occurring antioxidants. A systematic review of the research on true cinnamon found antioxidant activity among its main properties. (Ranasinghe and colleagues, 2013)
Cardamom, from Sri Lanka
Cardamom adds a fragrant, lightly citrusy note that lifts the turmeric and cinnamon. It's what you smell first when you open the pouch.
Cardamom is a natural source of antioxidants and has traditionally been used to support comfortable digestion. Across India and the Middle East it often goes into whatever comes after a meal, from chai to coffee.
Maca, from Junín, Peru
Maca is a root grown high in the Andes. It has a malty, earthy flavour that softens the sharper spices and rounds out the cup.
Maca has traditionally been taken for energy and stamina, and it contains no caffeine. In a 12-week randomised trial of 175 adults taking maca daily, participants living at low altitude reported more energy than the placebo group. (Gonzales-Arimborgo and colleagues, 2016)
Ginger, from Queensland
Ginger brings a warming bite that carries through the milk.
It has been used for generations to soothe the stomach and support healthy digestion, which makes Sol a comforting cup after a meal. There's more on ginger, cardamom and the after-dinner cup in our next note.
Black pepper, from Kerala, India
A small amount of black pepper rounds out the spices and leaves a warm, peppery finish.
Pepper contains piperine, and researchers have studied piperine alongside curcumin. A 1998 study found it raised blood levels of curcumin in volunteers given pure curcumin. A 2025 study of nine healthy men found that adding piperine to a curcumin supplement made no difference. (Shoba and colleagues, 1998; Kroon and colleagues, 2025) Neither study tested whole spices or a cup of Sol. Pepper is in the blend for its warmth and flavour.
How to read the research
Each study above tested one ingredient on its own, usually as an extract or a supplement, and often in a larger amount than a mixed serve holds. The finished Sol blend hasn't been clinically tested. That's why every benefit we describe names the ingredient behind it and links the study, so you can read it for yourself.
Sol is a food, made to be enjoyed every day: half a tablespoon of six ingredients, stirred into the milk you already like.
