Loose leaf chai tea is so popular in India that most households do not even start their day without a steaming cup of it. Now you may think that it is because of its taste but that is not all. Not many of us know it, but black chai is a cup full of flavours offering us thousands of health benefits.
In this article, we shall discuss these benefits in brief so that we can be proud of the cup of tea we prepare everyday for every member of our house.
Benefits of Black Chai Tea
There are multiple benefits attached to this flavourful cup of tea which is enhanced with the help of the add ons we put in it like ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and more. Let us have a look at the benefits of drinking a regular cup of chai every day:
1. Antioxidants
Chai is rich in antioxidants that contribute to reducing the effects of free radicals in the body. It also promotes cellular health, prevents degenerative diseases and some cancer forms. You can consider adding cinnamon bark, cardamom, and cloves to increase its antioxidant content.
2. Heart Health
The black chai is proven to be packed with flavonoids which contribute to multiple health benefits including improving heart health. They help reduce plaque buildup in the arteries of our body reducing stress on our heart. When cinnamon is added in the tea, it contributes to reducing bad cholesterol in the body adding into your heart health.
3. Improved Digestion
Consumption of chai has shown improved digestion and reduction in stomach troubles. Since most of us add ginger and cardamom to our tea, they also act as powerful digestive aids that improve gastrointestinal symptoms.
4. Aids to Energy and Alertness
Black tea is known to have energising properties which can give you the much needed kick to keep you going throughout the day. It is also known to be increasing alertness and focus which is due to the caffeine present in it. So, whenever you are feeling lethargic, you just need to brew a cup of chai to re-energise.
5. Good for Skin
The said tea is also known to be packed with a variety of vitamins and minerals like zinc, magnesium, potassium, and more. All these vital nutrients are supposed to give you healthy skin. The tea is also known to help you stay hydrated which can be a great addition to your skin care regime.
6. Inflammation Reduction
We put multiple things in chai when we prepare it which includes ingredients like ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. All these ingredients sum up to provide you with inflammation reduction in your body which can help you relax if you drink it after a long day.
7. Cold and Flu
If you are feeling like a cold or a flu is approaching, you can always brew a kadak cup of chai to fight it off. Just use a generous amount of other spices like ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, dry ginger powder, ajwain and more. Once you are done brewing these, you will end up with a very effective tonic to help you soothe your illness.
How to make Chai?
Ingredients:
- Water
- Milk (Optional)
- Black Tea
- Sweetener: Sugar, honey, jaggery, etc
- Ginger
- Cardamom
- Cinnamon
- Clove
- Dry Ginger Powder
- Ajwain
- Black Pepper
- Tulsi
Method:
- Take equal parts of water and milk in a saucepan. Half a cup of water in half a cup of milk gives you a single cup of chai.
- Add all the ingredients according to your taste and brew them for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Sieve it in a cup and enjoy a hot cup of tea in a peaceful surrounding.
Conclusion
In this article, we learnt about the health advantages of drinking loose leaf organic black chai tea. I am sure we all Indians do not start our day without a hot cup of tea so it is better to know about the health benefits attached to drinking it.
I hope you learned a lot from this well researched blog and you will be more consistent in drinking tea from now on. If you are someone who does not drink black chai, then may I suggest you at least drink half a cup every day to soak in the multiple benefits that it has to offer to us.
Please share this article with people who are not a very big fan of tea and should start drinking a cup a day.