- — KCC BLOG — KCC BLOG — KCC BLOG — KCC BLOG — KCC BLOG — KCC BLOG
- — KCC BLOG — KCC BLOG — KCC BLOG — KCC BLOG — KCC BLOG — KCC BLOG
What are the Health Benefits of Chai?
The health benefits of chai are almost endless and that comes from the spices that are freshly brewed in every cup. This is why it’s so important to be drinking authentic chai and not what is served at big box cafes, which usually make chai with syrups sweeteners which possess none of these healing properties.
Chai can naturally strengthen the immune system, help increase focus and help your body fight inflammation.
Chai’s health benefits
Discovering Chai’s Medicinal Properties
Some link Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in the period of 2700 BCE, as the first person to drink tea - by accident. While he was waiting for his servant to bring him a cup of hot water, he happened to be sitting under a Camellia Sinensis (Black Tea) tree. Despite the leaves from the tree dropping into his chalice, the emperor couldn’t be bothered to remove them. As he sipped, his mood dramatically improved, and that is the story of how tea was first sipped. The drink continued to grow in popularity and was ultimately a building block of Chinese medicine.
Health Benefits
With its origins establishing itself as a healing beverage, chai evolved again once the people of India added spices, milk and sugar to it. Here’s how a cup of chai can improve your health:
Blood pressure
The cinnamon in chai helps in regulating blood pressure. Adding fresh ginger or ginger powder also helps to manage blood sugar levels. A dose of masala chai also contains anti-inflammatory properties and antibacterial properties - helping fight disease at every level.
Heart health
Black tea, the main ingredient in a cup of chai, is packed with flavonoids, which stop any type of plaque from being built up in your arteries. This immediately lowers the stress on your heart health.
Digestion
Chai can help you digest better. Studies on Black tea reveal that it aids in digestion and helps keep stomach problems at bay.
Simply put, making a cup of chai in the morning can have transformative effects for your daily life.
Builds your immune system
The key immunity boosting ingredients in chai are black tea (ours is organic and from the Assam region of India), green cardamom and ginger. Here’s how each of them work to regulate our body and keep us healthy:
• Black tea - Black tea contains Polyphenols, which are a type of antioxidant that can provide protection against the onset of chronic disease, decrease inflammation and improve cell health.
• Green Cardamom - Rich in antioxidants and minerals, cardamom contributes towards a healthy gut which helps fend off colds and viruses.
• Ginger - High in Vitamin C, ginger is an excellent source of antioxidants. It’s also a diaphoretic which warms the body within and can be an excellent way to fend off colds and infections.
Helps your mental wellbeing
L-theanine is an amino acid that is found specifically in black tea (including the organic Assam tea that we use in our chai mix), and may be able to increase relaxation by reducing stress and anxiety levels.
L-theanine has been shown to positively alter brain waves and the neurotransmitters involved in mood, focus, and memory. This happens because L-theanine is able to release the caffeine from chai in a slow, controlled manner instead of the typical hit you get after a cup of espresso.
Cleanses your oral microbiome
The verified presence of antimicrobial properties in cardamom can help decrease the bacteria known to cause cavities.
Helps your respiratory health
Evidence shows inhaling cardamom oil can increase blood circulation and oxygen intake, and we proudly pack more cardamom in our chai mix than anyone else out there.
Chai vs. Coffee
What’s better for you - chai or coffee? It’s a question that ultimately comes down to your health goals, flavor preferences and lifestyle choices.
A hot cup of coffee and a piping cup of chai both have their charm. Though both beverages contain caffeine, what distinguishes the cup of chai is the army of life-enhancing spices like cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, and fresh ginger that are packed in every cup.
Caffeine
Caffeine is found naturally in both tea and coffee and can stimulate the central nervous system. It literally helps the signals between the body and brain travel faster. A dose of caffeine increases alertness, gives you energy and boosts your mood.
But is caffeine bad for you? The answer depends on the dosage and your total caffeine intake, but overall every cup of chai contains about 66% less caffeine than a cup of coffee.
Caffeine Content
The Mayo Clinic says that consuming up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day is acceptable, but that is a lot.
Caffeine itself isn’t bad, but it’s about how the caffeine enters your body that is worth some exploration. Chai contains L-Theanine which is an amino acid that binds to the Black Tea to release caffeine in a slow, controlled way. Coffee beans do not have this ability, which leads to people experiencing jitters, burn out or afternoon crashes.
For reference, a 12 ounce can of a caffeinated soft drink typically contains 30-40 milligrams of caffeine. In the realm of hot drinks, the caffeine in tea is around 30-50 milligrams and the caffeine in coffee is 80-100 milligrams, when compared in an 8 oz. cup. Energy drinks contain anywhere between 40-250 mg of caffeine for the same quantity.
So, when it comes to caffeine, not all drinks are created the same and chai is the healthiest out of the pack.
Health Benefits
Caffeine is a mood and energy booster - its consumption is widespread and not going away any time soon. But, it’s not just about energy.
A cup of chai has several health benefits - it is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, lowers blood pressure, helps manage blood sugar, boosts brain energy and improves cardiovascular health. These qualities are unique to chai because of the spices that go into every cup.
On the contrary, energy drinks artificially enhanced with caffeine are said to increase the risk of heart disease.
