What is Chai Tea? – Health Benefits and Side-Effects

Despite having a distinction, Chai tea is so prevalent in India and surrounded regions that Chai is used as just another word for tea in that area. However, in the west, you will hardly find the traditional Chai Tea, and the one offered at Starbucks and other cafes would taste different and would not provide the same health benefits.

Chai tea is absolutely delicious and can be drunk on a regular basis. Moreover, it also has a lot of health benefits that can be good for your health.

Today, we will be discussing the top health benefits of drinking chai tea. So, without wasting much time, let’s get started with the definition of chai tea.

Also Read: What is Lavender Tea? – Health Benefits and Side-Effects

What is Chai tea?

Chai Tea is an Indian traditional tea that is consumed in India on a daily basis. In some of the largest South Asian countries, it is way more popular than any other type of beverage, including coffee. Chai tea is a robust blend of tea, herbs, and spices.

You must not confuse the traditional chai tea that we are referring to here with the one found in western countries in outlets like Starbucks and other coffee shops. The tea offered in these outlets is often mixed with additional sugars and additives to make it suitable for the American tongue. Still, it does not offer the same amount of benefits as the traditional chai tea.

When we talk about the benefits of chai tea, there is no denying that they are a lot, as chai tea has been used as part of Ayurvedic medicines in India and traditional Chinese medicine for decades. 

Health benefits of chai tea

Can help you wake up

There is a considerable amount of caffeine content present in chai tea, and due to this, we can safely say that drinking chai tea in the morning can be a great choice for getting your day started with the required energy. The source of this caffeine content in chai tea is black tea leaves, which naturally constitute caffeine.

Moreover, the number of black tea leaves present in different chai teacups can be fluctuating, and due to this, the exact amount of caffeine content, and resultantly the efficiency of this particular benefit, cannot be accurately determined.

Promotes better digestion

The most common benefit of tea, in general, is that they are excellent for regulating digestive systems. You can keep your gut healthy by drinking chai tea as it is rich in spices that are highly effective in circulating bowel moments. Most beneficial of all the spices present in chai tea is ginger. It helps in digestion by enhancing the circulation and providing oxygen to organs for helping them perform optimally.

Apart from ginger, black pepper is another spice present in chai tea that helps in improving digestion. Black pepper assists the pancreas in producing digestive enzymes.

Alleviates Nausea

As mentioned above, chai tea constitutes ginger as one of its spices. And ginger is widely popular for its effectiveness in reducing nausea and its related symptoms; it is also effective in alleviating seasickness. There are about 1 to 1.5 grams of Ginger content present in chai tea. There have been several studies reflecting that due to this component, chai tea can be a crucial addition to the treatment of common ailments, nausea, and seasickness.

The reason why chai tea is so effective in alleviating common ailments like nausea and seasickness is the presence of biological compounds like show shogaol and gingerol. These two compounds are highly effective in preventing nausea because of their anti-inflammatory properties responsible for soothing the suffering stomach and alleviating the pain associated with nausea.

Aches and pains

There have been several studies suggesting that drinking chai tea can be good for you if you are suffering from frequent body aches and pains. It can even be effective in soothing severe pain caused by conditions like arthritis. The main reason for these benefits is the presence of various ingredients in chai tea that pose high anti-inflammatory properties, namely cloves and ginger.

Cloves have been traditionally used as a homeopathic remedy for treating not-so-severe pains like toothaches. Modern studies have suggested that clove can also be effective in alleviating the most severe pain.

As mentioned above, the Ginger root, which is included in chai tea has been known to reduce inflammation in our body, which is directly linked with the reduction of severe pains that can range from minor headaches to migraines.

Strengthening the immune system

A strong immune system is one of the most important things to have if you want to live a healthy life. It is like our first line of defense against any bacteria or diseases that try to make us ill. Drinking chai tea on a daily basis can be good for you as it strengthens your immune system. Most chai tea includes cardamom as ingredients. This herb has been traditionally used as part of many ancient medicines.

There are in total two different varieties of Cardamom grown in Tanzania, India, Sri Lanka, and Guatemala, namely green and black. If you want to strengthen your immune system, you must look for green cardamom as a crucial ingredient in a pack of chai tea that you are about to buy.

Prevents chronic disease by protecting overall cell health

Chai Tea is also rich in various essential antioxidants, including polyphenols. Antioxidants are an important part of our body that are responsible for eliminating free radicals and reducing oxidative damage. Unlike many other essential nutrients, antioxidants have to be consumed externally. Chai tea, being rich in various antioxidants, including polyphenols, is a great addition to your daily diet if you want to reduce oxidative damage linked with cell health damage.

Improve heart health

There have been various studies conducted on animals that have shown the potential of cinnamon in decreasing lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure. Cinnamon is one of the main ingredients in chai tea. Moreover, black tea leaves are also present in chai tea and are linked with promoting a healthy heart.

Additional research has also confirmed that cinnamon can be effective in combating diabetes. You must notice that all of these benefits are linked to some of the heart disease factors, and there have been no such direct links between heart health and chai tea to date.

Conclusion

There are a lot of health benefits of drinking chai tea on a regular basis. Chai is one of the most popular beverages in South Asian countries. It has been used as part of traditional medicines for decades. It is rich in antioxidants and various other essential nutrients, which prove that it is good for you. Health benefits of chai tea may range from improved heart health to reduction in cell damage.

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