Is Chai Good for You? Top 7 Benefits of Drinking Chai
There are many health benefits when it comes to drinking chai, with hundreds of studies to back them all up.
Some of these chai-based health benefits include high levels of antioxidants, aiding sleep and improving digestion.
However, the type of chai you’re drinking plays a big part in whether or not you might be benefiting from it.
What is chai?
Chai is the Hindi word for “tea”.
In the West, chai has become synonymous with a sweetened spiced milky drink that has flavours of cinnamon, cloves and star anise.
A more accurate name for this beloved drink would be “masala chai”. In this article, I’ll simply refer to it as chai.
Chai has been made for a few hundred years with its origins being Indian.
So, what exactly is chai good for?
Is Chai Good For You?
While a chai latte from a popular coffee chain might be comforting, it’s essential to understand that not all chai is created equal.
Many commercial chai products are high in sugars and artificial ingredients, which can offset any potential health benefits. Opting for a natural, whole-spice chai blend can offer a richer array of health advantages.
As a chai blender myself, I have spent dozens of hours researching this very topic and have even worked with food scientists to uncover some fascinating research.
It’s important to always check with your doctor before making changes to your diet. I personally drink chai for both its taste and health benefits, however, everyone is different and it’s important to check with a health professional before changing your diet.
Chai made from syrups and powders are FULL of sugars and sweeteners. Even if the spiced taste wasn’t from concentrate or flavourings, the amount of sugar far outweighs any health benefits you might receive from the other ingredients.
The reality is that most of these super sweet mixes/syrups are just flavoured sugar. And last time I checked, that unfortunately doesn’t constitute as one of your five a day!
So how can chai possibly have any health benefits?
The answer lies in natural chai made with whole spices, real tea and natural sweeteners.
What is natural chai?
Natural chai refers to masala chai (spiced tea) made from whole ingredients, as opposed to flavourings and additives.
While the number of people using natural chai is growing, there are still many who only know chai as a very sweet cinnamon-flavoured drink made quickly in coffee shops.
Natural chai is so much more than this!
When we take whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, black pepper corn and blend them with high-quality tea, ginger and honey (optional), there is no comparison in flavour and experience.
Self-proclaimed “chai addicts” are converting at a considerable rate to the “real” natural chai on the market and this is great for everyone. Coffee shops begin to increase the quality of their products, farmers selling the ingredients get paid better and you, the drinker, get to reap the potential health benefits that chai may bring to you.
What are the health benefits of drinking chai?
1. High in Antioxidants
If you have ever searched the health benefits of drinking tea in general, you will have seen that every article points to high levels of antioxidants and their well-researched health improvements.
Antioxidants are one of the most studied chemicals [1] in tea and many other plants.
Antioxidants are kind of like our body’s own personal bodyguards which protect our cells against damage.
They work by neutralising free radicals (unstable molecules) that can cause damage inside our bodies if left unchecked. Think of free radicals as reckless drivers on a road, and antioxidants act as police officers who take them off the road when they spot them. The more police officers (antioxidants) we have on our road (body), the more free radicals that get stopped and taken off the road.
Without antioxidants, the wear and tear on our cells would speed up, potentially leading to increased ageing and various types of diseases.
It’s fair enough to say that they play quiet a crucial role in maintaining the harmony and health of our bodies every day.
2. Improved Mental Alertness
As you may know, tea contains varying levels of caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant found naturally in many plants and food items. It interacts with our brain and nervous system to increase alertness and people often use caffeinated drinks to keep their minds focused on tasks or to stay awake when tired.
If like myself, you have ever tried to cram late into the night for an upcoming exam, you have likely already become acquainted with caffeine, but how does the caffeine in chai differ from say, coffee?
With coffee, you get a fairly quick, high level of caffeine which lasts for up to six hours. How our bodies interact with caffeine vary but generally, most people get a come down after drinking coffee or rely on multiple cups a day to keep focused.
The caffeine chemical in tea and coffee are the same, but there is one major difference. Tea also contains an amino acid called L-Theanine. This incredible amino acid performs a unique role in how it interacts with caffeine.
In tea, caffeine increases your alertness and stimulates your brain and nervous system, while L-Theanine calms you down. The result is a balance of increased alertness with focused relaxation on the task at hand. All the focus, with none of the crash that coffee is more prone to cause.
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that consuming tea with caffeine improved cognitive performance and increased alertness. [2]
3. Boosts the immune system
With chai often containing ginger, this is a sure fire way to ensure you have some great immune system boosting anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
My grandfather used to give me little cubes of candied ginger crystals anytime I had a sore stomach or felt ill. As well as what felt like fire going through your chest, it really did make me feel better.
With that signature chest-warming effect, studies repeatedly show how it helps to improve our immune systems. [3]
4. Lowered Blood Pressure
Spices such as cinnamon (one of the primary spices in chai) have been shown to decrease systolic and diastolic blood pressure. [4]
With an estimation that over ¼ of the UK adult population have high blood pressure, the incorporation of cinnamon into your diet may have beneficial impacts. [5]
With high blood pressure contributing to a whole host of health issues, easy wins sure do sound appealing. With cinnamon being super easy to incorporate into your diet, it may be worth checking out.
One thing to note is that there are two types of cinnamon. Cassia Cinnamon is known for its strong flavour and fragrant aroma. It is often used at Christmas time for that seasonal flavour profile.
The second type of cinnamon is Ceylon Cinnamon. This variety is found in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and is much more subtle in flavour but packs more antioxidants than the Cassia variety. So it may be worth looking at getting an Organic Ceylon Cinnamon to go with your porridge, baking or simply to sprinkle over your chai.
Please remember that it’s important to always check with your doctor before making changes to your diet.
5. Improved Weight Management
In the UK, like many other places in the world, we often drink many cups of tea throughout the day. Water is a natural appetite suppressant and considering 99% of tea is water, it makes sense that drinking tea also has the effect of making us feel fuller.
When we drink liquids, they go to our stomach and take up room there. This results in reduced feelings of hunger.
If chai is enjoyed as part of a balanced diet, it has the effect of making the drinker snack less and therefore, helps to reduce undesired weight gain. Another benefit of drinking chai is the rehydrating effect it has on the body when drank as a water-based chai. Why not give it a try using a natural chai mix?
6. Improves Digestion
Since the late 1800’s, Indians have incorporated tea with spices to create the chai we know and love today.
However, they and many other nations have boiled spices in water to aid digestion for much longer than this. The combination of spices and their beneficial effects on the gut system are well recorded and were commonly passed down from generation to generation.
When I visited India myself and had the most amazing biryani (Chicken cooked in spices and rice) in Hyderabad, we were encouraged to drink some freshly made chai to aid in the digestion of the meal.
In many parts of the world, our diets consist of high fats and protein. Chai and its digestive aid properties help our gut to process all of the things we eat and can reduce bloating, constipation and nausea. Next time you feel bloated after a large meal, why not grab a chai and see how you feel after 25 minutes?
7. Reduced Inflammation
Inflammation is our body's response to germs, pathogens or damage to cells. For example, if you cut your hand on something, your body will respond by releasing inflammatory cells to protect that part of your body. Pretty cool, right?
While the evidence for anti-inflammatory properties in spices is still young, there are promising signs that spices such as black peppercorns and cloves may have anti-inflammatory properties [6]
These spices may help the body to respond more quickly by introducing polyphenols into your body's system, thus, helping to prevent some diseases and repair the body more quickly.
Conclusion
Drinking tea has numerous health benefits, which is one of the main reasons it has endured for so long as a beloved beverage. The benefits listed above are backed by scientific research and are directly linked to chai consumption.
So, the next time you reach for a cup of (natural) chai, remember that you are not only enjoying a delicious beverage but may also be improving your health.
If you would like to explore the world of chai further, you can read more of our blog posts here. If you have any questions, I would love for you to get in touch by contacting me at info@chalachai.com.
And remember,
Life’s too short to drink bad chai!
Andrew McGuire
Chief Chai Maker
Citations:
[4] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/herbs-to-lower-blood pressure#:~:text=A%20review%20of%209%20studies,easy%20to%20incorporate%20into%20meals.)
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