Adah Sharma's Viral Recipe
Actress Adah Sharma, known for her quirky personality and commitment to a healthy, plant-based lifestyle, recently shared a recipe for what she calls 'Black Milk'. In an Instagram post, she revealed the drink that she claims can make her skin glow. The
recipe she shared is surprisingly simple and relies on whole-food ingredients. According to recent reports detailing her post, the striking black colour comes not from a synthetic additive, but from black sesame seeds ('til'). The recipe involves dry-roasting black sesame seeds, then blending them with cashews, dates for sweetness, a pinch of salt, and water. The mixture is then strained to create a smooth, dark-coloured milk. Sharma even suggested using the leftover pulp as a face pack.
The Power of Black Sesame
Unlike some other trendy black-coloured foods, Sharma's recipe uses a genuinely nutritious base. Black sesame seeds are a powerhouse of minerals and have been used in traditional medicine, including Chinese medicine, for centuries. They are celebrated for being a rich source of calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. Adah Sharma herself highlighted that her black milk is packed with calcium, iron, antioxidants, and vitamin E. These nutrients support everything from bone health to red blood cell production. Furthermore, black sesame contains healthy polyunsaturated fats and powerful antioxidants like sesamin and sesamolin, which are believed to help reduce cholesterol and support cardiovascular health.
The Other 'Black Milk': Activated Charcoal
When people hear 'black milk', many immediately think of another trendy ingredient: activated charcoal. This is what gives 'goth lattes' and charcoal ice cream their photogenic black hue. Activated charcoal is a fine black powder made from materials like coconut husks or wood that have been treated at high temperatures. It's famously used in medical settings to treat certain types of poisoning and overdoses because of its powerful ability to absorb toxins. This 'detox' property has made it a popular, though controversial, additive in wellness drinks and foods. However, Adah Sharma's recipe does not include this ingredient, opting instead for the more nutritionally dense black sesame.
A Word of Caution on Charcoal
It's important to understand the difference between a black sesame milk and a charcoal-based one. While sesame milk is primarily nutritional, health experts urge caution with activated charcoal. Because it is so absorbent, activated charcoal doesn't distinguish between toxins and good stuff. It can bind to vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in your food, preventing your body from absorbing them. More critically, it can significantly reduce the effectiveness of essential medications, including birth control pills, antidepressants, and blood pressure medication. For this reason, it's not recommended for regular consumption, and anyone taking medication should avoid it or consult a doctor.
A Trend Worth Trying?
Adah Sharma's version of black milk, made with sesame, cashews, and dates, is essentially a homemade, nutrient-rich plant milk. It taps into a long tradition of using sesame in drinks and foods for health benefits, particularly in Asian cultures. Unlike the charcoal latte trend, which is more about aesthetics than wellness, this recipe offers tangible benefits from its natural ingredients. It provides a dairy-free, vegan alternative to traditional milk that is rich in healthy fats, protein, and minerals. As with any dietary change, individual results and benefits can vary, but the foundation of Sharma's recipe is built on wholesome, recognized ingredients rather than a passing fad with potential side effects.
