Chai Tea
Proven Health Benefits of Chai
- Chai reduces oxidative stress and neuroinflammation
- May prevents cancers by inhibiting formation of carcinogens
- Aids in weight loss by promoting lipid metabolism, inhibiting their digestion and absorption
- Chai is loaded with antioxidants, coming from the tea as well as all the added spices
- Chai may be able to improve your mood, and make you feel relaxed
- Chai may rejuvenate the skin, making it young and glowing
What is Chai?
The word is of Indian origin, so it is practically how Indians make their tea. Before British colonization in the 1900s, chai was a beverage of spices steeped in hot water with milk and a sweetener. The British influence brought tea (usually black) into the mix, and it has been so till date. The regular spices that accompany the tea include cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, star anise and fennel.
What is chai useful for?
Chai is invariably a sea of phytochemicals, including antioxidants, polyphenols anti-inflammatory agents, anticarcinogenic agents, etc. The amount and diversity of these phytochemicals increase with the more variety of spices added. Antioxidants in the tea may help to protect neurons and brain cells from oxidative damage1. Polyphenols help metabolize lipids and reduce obesity, and more importantly, remove precursors of cardiovascular diseases. Cardamom has been shown to have positive benefits on blood sugar levels, improving levels of hemoglobin A1c and insulin. Consuming all these spices in chai is especially helpful because the phytochemicals are not destroyed in the preparation.
Health benefits of chai
- Antibacterial
- Reduces plaque formation and tooth decay
- Improved digestion and gut health
- Decreases nausea
- Relieves aches and pains
- May aid in the prevention of obesity
- Helps to regulate blood sugars
Nutrition
A 12oz cup of chai will give approximately;- Carbohydrate – 0.88oz
- Calories – 125
- Protein – 0.1oz
- Fat – 0.1oz
- Fiber – 0.03oz
Toxicity
That is chai may interfere with iron absorption. As such people with injuries, hemorrhages, those taking NSAIDs or generally in a state that require more blood should be cautious with chai.
Although tea contains about just a quarter of caffeine that the same amount of coffee would, an over-excited consumer may still get the effects of restlessness and anxiety for over-indulgence. It may carry through with the other harmful effects of caffeine consumption such as heartburn, pregnancy complications, caffeine-reliance and lack of, or poor sleep, if one consumes chai too much. For most adults, about 750ml or 3⁄4 of a liter per day is the suggested maximum.