The many benefits of chai! : It seems like drinking tea has become a new fad over these past few years. Not that people can be blamed for it, it really is damn delicious. And with such a wide variety for tea, one of the favorites being chai tea (locally known as masala tea), it’s no wonder the growing love for this drink has regained popularity among the new generations. Read on about the benefits of chai!
Chai tea has its origins after the arrival of the British in India in the 1870’s, and in the 20th century, the working class had begun to develop the habit of drinking chai every day. It apparently gave better health to the workers and after a time, chai became a typical part of Indian life. Read on about the benefits of chai!
Masala chai – The king of Indian Chai
The more typical Indian brew is called masala chai, and the spices normally used for chai are ginger root, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, fennel seeds, clover, among others. Each spice gives out different health benefits that give chai an even better reason to drink. And they’re all from natural sources that have existed for centuries in the aid of health for the people, now conveniently made in the famous milky brew you find with every chai walla. Of the benefits you can get from drinking Indian chai, here are some just for you:
Anti-inflammatory benefits of chai
1. Chai has anti-inflammatory benefits, thanks to the use of ginger in the brew. Ginger has properties that help suppress inflammatory molecules, and clove coriander seed and black cumin oils have been found to reduce acute inflammation. We hope you liked this benefit of chai.
Ginger tea
2. For dealing with nausea and vomiting, ginger, one of the most used ingredients in chai, is ideal for treating this. Ginger has bioactive compounds within the rhizome of the spice that carry anti-inflammatory properties. Cinnamon, fennel, clove, and cardamom have antibacterial properties that may help prevent digestive issues caused by bacterial infections. And black pepper also has appeared to carry the same antibacterial properties that can increase the levels of digestive enzymes to support proper digestion.
We hope you liked this benefit of chai.
The magic of ginger tea lies in the benefits!
Reduce blood sugar levels with chai!
3. It also helps to reduce blood sugar levels and the risk of heart disease thanks to, again, ginger and cinnamon. They can increase insulin sensitivity in your body. Insulin helps to escort sugar out of your blood and into your cells, reducing your blood sugar levels. By doing this they also reduce heart disease by helping to stabilize cholesterol levels and triglycerides. We hope you liked the benefits of chai.
Blood sugar should be reduced!
When preparing chai, remember that many of its brews contain black tea. Black tea contains caffeine and, as you know, caffeine is a stimulant that can affect your sleep and anxiety if not taken properly. Also, avoid artificial sweeteners, too much sugar and any unnecessary ingredients with no real benefits for your health. We hope you liked the benefits of chai.
But still, there is no real limit to how much chai you can take as long as you limit the caffeine. Unless you’re lactose intolerant in which you might want to eliminate the milk from the traditional masala or have allergies to certain spices, you can drink as much chai during the day as you want. Or at least feel a little liberty to take some more than coffee. We hope you liked the benefits of chai.
So, go look for some good recipes online for masala chai. Try some of it yourself and relish the enjoyment of those sweet spices that only Indian chai can give.