What is chai tea and what are its benefits?

India is a country of enormous diversity, with a very interesting Indian gastronomy and in fact very well positioned abroad, that includes a variety of dishes where we get exotic foods and extravagant drinks .

Like China with the famous green tea , the Hindu country has its own in excellence, the well-known chai tea , where in this article we will learn about its benefits and its entire composition.

What is chai tea?

Also called Masala chai , it is a drink whose consumption is high in South India, traditionally made with hot spices such as ginger , cinnamon , star anise and cardamom, being nutritious and powerful for the body.

Its consumption is as famous as that of coffee, since masala chai or chai tea is used as a stimulant with fewer side effects , adding spices or elements that are used in traditional Indian medicine.

Note: An analysis determines the following: “Clove, inside chai tea can help all those who have stomach ulcers to relieve symptoms . ” (1)

What benefits does chai tea have?

Chai tea is a substitute for coffee due to its greater contributions to health, which can greatly exceed this previously mentioned drink. How does Chai tea differ from other popular drinks? In the following benefits you will know its most relevant characteristics:

1. Reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases

Chai tea is a drink with antioxidant elements, which also act as anti-inflammatories necessary to prevent cardiovascular diseases, also helping the immune system and facilitating better blood circulation.

To highlight: This drink specifically reduces blood pressure and provides a lower development of cholesterol and triglycerides (saturated fats) in the blood, this is due to cinnamon, a crucial element that contains vital oils and antioxidant elements.

2. Reduces blood sugar levels

This type of tea is very famous in the East for various reasons, one of which is that it serves as a drink for delicate diabetes patients , mainly because it reduces glucose levels present in hemoglobin.

The result is thanks to the cinnamon present in chai tea, this ingredient is considered a great substitute or rather, an ideal complement to insulin , stimulating muscle cells to eliminate sugar, thanks to polyphenols.

Important: This benefit in chai tea is supported by the following information: “Spices and seasonings such as cinnamon can provide numerous phytochemicals with functional potential to the body . ” (two)

3. Fights the action of free radicals

This tea is a great way to combat free radicals, compounds in the body that are closely related to oxidation or aging of cells, as a result of biological reactions.

You should know: The polyphenols that are present in chai tea (thanks to cinnamon) have antioxidant effects, which prevent cell damage that is caused by free radicals. Ginger also plays a leading role in this, which can strengthen the immune system .

4. Promotes digestive health

Gastrointestinal health is very delicate, so care must be taken and diets rich in fiber should be maintained , which strengthen the intestinal flora and prevent constipation and even inflammation of the mucous walls of the intestine.

Chai tea has the property of dilating the gastrointestinal system, through the actions of cinnamon and fennel (in other recipes), which provide dietary fiber for the digestive tract, among them black pepper complements the work.

Note: Black pepper, which is also added to Masala chai, has the following property according to a study: “This element provides faster absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and protection against metabolization . ” (3)

5. Prevents neurodegenerative diseases

Conditions such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s are considered neurodegenerative, caused by environmental factors or cardiovascular accidents (in relation to heart conditions), but they can be prevented with the consumption of chai tea.

To highlight: One of the reasons why chai tea is consumed in India is because of its ability to prevent degenerative diseases , through cinnamon, which provides neuroprotective proteins and prevents failures in brain activity due to tau protein problems (in charge of of the maturation of the nervous system and the neural loads towards it).

6. Reduces inflammation and pain

Chai tea is also considered an anti-inflammatory, capable of neutralizing pain in areas such as the mouth (in case of toothache ), in addition to being necessary for a greater strength of human cells, this is possible thanks to cinnamon and clove .

You should know: This is ideal for patients who have conditions such as arthritis, being considered a natural analgesic, relieving even stomach pains. It should be noted that this also occurs due to cardamom, which works as an anti-inflammatory substitute for ibuprofen.

7. Fight infections

The immune system is one of the greatest defenses of the human body. One of the reasons why in India and many Asian countries, there are fewer deaths from cancer and other conditions , is again because of their traditional drinks.

Note: In this case, chai tea has a wide variety of antioxidant , anti-inflammatory elements and prevents the sudden actions of free radicals , all this lengthens the cell life of our body and strengthens the defenses of the immune system. This is possible thanks to ginger , cinnamon and also cloves.

8. Increase energy

This is a type of tea whose components provide protein, which is transformed into energy for the body and works properly, but not only that, the energy is also due to the carbohydrates (or carbohydrates) that are obtained in this drink.

Chai tea is a healthier caffeinated drink (unlike coffee), therefore it does not negatively affect the person who consumes it , on the contrary, it provides greater cellular energy and can prevent fatigue or excessive tiredness, providing vitality.

9. Reduces symptoms of depression

Not all the benefits of chai tea are on a physical level, it can also strengthen the psychological state of the human being, specifically in the pathological picture of depression , but it is direct to the symptoms related to this emotional disorder.

You should know: The frequent symptoms of depression can be treated with chai tea infusions , since the caffeine in this drink promotes the development of brain dopamine, increasing mood and the polyphenols in cinnamon have antidepressant effects.

10. Stimulates libido

The libido refers to sexual desire, recurring in many couples or even on a personal intimate level. The lack of sexual desire is a problem that is treated a lot at both a physiological and psychological level , in which chai tea can act positively.

To highlight: Apart from relieving depressive states and providing energy to the body, it can be noted that cinnamon, ginger and cardamom intensify pleasure, positively increase body temperature and at the same time increase body energy.

Properties of chai tea

Knowing the benefits, the question arises: what does chai tea have if we look at each of its components? We have talked about cinnamon, ginger and even cardamom. Therefore, it is time to show you what properties are housed in the ingredients of this tea:

1. Vitamins

The exquisite spices in this infusion provide the following vitamins: vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin E, B complex vitamins (especially B9 and B3) and all of these work as antioxidants and are necessary for metabolism.

Note: These types of vitamins are compiled in relation to spices such as ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.

2. Minerals

The ingredients of this drink also provide essential minerals, where we find sodium, calcium, iron, zinc and manganese , crucial for the development of the organism and the strengthening of bone tissue (bone health) and muscle tissue. . These types of minerals can be found in cinnamon and ginger mainly.

3. Other compounds

This is an interesting brew, as chai tea is merely a drink rich in unusual compounds such as flavonoids, polyphenols, fiber in certain spices, amino acids such as L-theanine, which acts as a natural pain reliever or relaxant.

How to prepare and consume chai tea?

Chai tea is consumed in the form of a hot infusion , so its preparation method is simple at a certain point, it is only necessary to have the following ingredients and follow the appropriate steps.

Ingredients

• Agua
• black tea
• Lower leg
• Cloves
• Ginger
• Cardamom
• Black pepper

Preparation and consumption

• Place the 6 spices in a pot with water, which you are going to bring to a simmer.
• You will let it rest for at least 5 minutes when the water has fully boiled and you turn off the heat.
• Then you pass them through a strainer after the minutes, leaving only the hot water and thus sweeten at ease when drinking the tea.

Key Findings

• Chai tea or Masala chai is a drink native to India, made with spices such as ginger, cinnamon and cardamom .
• The most curious benefits of chai tea are to increase body energy and combat digestive, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative conditions.
• It is composed of vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, amino acids and even proteins.
• It can be prepared in 5 minutes and consumed as a hot infusion .