Need another reason to drink a nice cup of chai? Or how about seven!
Traditional masala chai is made up of a blend of spices (like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, peppercorns, cloves, fennel) combined with a black tea, often an Assam tea.
Each of the spices used in chai has its own list of health benefits, especially the well known and much loved spice heavy hitters like ginger and turmeric. So, we could spend an entire blog post on any one of them - and one day, we will! - but for this post, we wanted to focus on the health benefits of a cup of traditional masala chai (like our Original Chai Blend, decaffeinated Original Chai Blend, Golden Turmeric Chai or Candied Ginger Chai).
All of these chai blends include a loose leaf organic black Assam tea combined with spices like ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, black peppercorns and cloves.
So, here are 7 of our favourite benefits to drinking chai!
1. Improves Digestion
Cloves, cardamom, black peppercorns and ginger are all known to help with digestion issues.
2. Reduces Nausea
Ginger is well known for its ability to help reduce symptoms of nausea. It can be enjoyed by itself or can work in a synergistic way with other spices to ease nausea and stomach discomfort.
3. Improves Heart Health
Cinnamon is a delightful spice that is actually the bark of a tree. Its benefits are many but one is its ability to help improve the health of the heart.
4. Antioxidant Properties
Black tea contains antioxidants including flavonoids and polyphenols, ginger contains gingerol and cinnamon and cloves include eugenol. Chai is full of antioxidants which are great for general health and wellness.
5. Reduces Inflammation
Chai contains spices that have anti-inflammatory compounds, which help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.
6. Reduces Blood Sugar Levels and Reduces Cravings
Ginger and cinnamon help balance and lower blood sugar levels. Cravings can even be satiated by a cup of chai, because it is high in protein (milk is used in traditional chai preparation) which helps level off hunger pangs.
7. Increases Mental Focus
Caffeine, in limited amounts of course, has been shown to help with increased focus and stimulation. Chai contains about 50 mg of caffeine per cup (half the caffeine content of a cup of coffee).
With that, we are off to brew up a cup of delicious and healthful chai!
References:
Healthline: How Chai Tea Can Improve Your Health
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/chai-tea#TOC_TITLE_HDR_9
Shape: Chai Tea Benefits...
https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-drinks/chai-tea-benefits
Organic Facts: Chai Tea: Health Benefits & How to Make
https://www.organicfacts.net/chai-tea.html