AMAZING BENEFITS OF KARAK TEA
For many people in Asia and Middle East countries, chai simply means tea. However, in the West, chai tea has become related with a delightfully spicy drink that is also wildly popular. Known widely for its delicious blend of herbs and spices that lend to its unique flavor, chai has made a statement on the world stage.
In addition, chai has proven health benefits that make this drink not only tasty, but also good for your health. Whether you're looking to protect heart health and prevent disease or simply want to boost your immune system and alleviate aches and pains, chai tea has something to offer.
The chai found in the western world at Starbucks and other coffee shops is not actually traditional chai. Most of the time, American chai teas are filled with lots of sugars and additives that are not found in traditional chai tea recipes.
For centuries it has been revered for its health benefits in Chinese traditional medicine and in Ayurvedic medicine, an Indian holistic healing system. Chai teas can vary depending on the region in which it is consumed, but in general, they contain some staple ingredients.
Most chai teas are made from oxidized and fermented black tea leaves and combined with spices including cardamom, fresh ginger, black pepper, ground cloves, cinnamon and fennel. Chai recipes call for both black and green cardamom pods depending on the region.
The chai tea spice blend are often filled with tea plant’s leaves to add a stronger flavor profile to the standard chai tea ingredients. While chai is most regularly melded with Assam black tea, it can also be found infused with green tea and oolong tea. Chai is also frequently infused with Indian black teas such as Darjeeling or Ceylon teas from Sri Lanka.
Chai tea, also known as masala chai, holds a mixture of delightful flavors and emits a spicy aroma that awakens the senses. The pepper and ginger give the spicy tea a little kick while cinnamon and pieces add an earthy tone to chai blends. Karak tea is often sweet in order to improve the robustness of the spices lending a spicy and sweet flavor with a creamy texture
THE POWER OF THYMES AND SPICES
Chai tea has caffeine since it contains black tea leaves, which naturally contain caffeine. Since each chai can use a varied amount of black tea, it's hard to say precisely how much caffeine each tea bag contains. As a rule of thumb, chai tea contains about one third the amount of caffeine as a regular cup of coffee and about one sixth the amount of a strong cup of coffee.
That means you can consume several cups of chai tea a day without the negative side effects associated with several cups of coffee. You'll still get the stimulant effects and can tackle even the longest days. Switching from coffee to chai tea can be an easy way to reduce your caffeine intake and lessen jittery feelings without having to go cold turkey.
IT HELPS IMPROVE DIGESTION
Like many teas, chai is excellent for regulating digestive systems and keeping your gut healthy. The spice in chai tea that is largely responsible for digestive health benefits is ginger. Ginger aids digestion by improving circulation and delivering oxygen to organs so they can perform optimally.
Another spice in chai that aids digestion is black pepper, which helps the pancreas produce digestive enzymes. These enzymes work as catalysts to speed up digestive processes that break down fats and proteins. With a more efficient digestive system, you can avoid more severe problems such as liver diseases, iron deficiency and irritable bowel syndrome.
Ginger is well known for its ability to reduce nausea and has been used to treat common ailments such as seasickness or nausea during pregnancy. Chai tea contains about 1 to 1.5 grams of ginger, which is the amount that studies have found to be effective in treating nausea
The spices found in chai tea can help to alleviate common aches and pains and may even help people with more severe pain such as arthritis. These health benefits derive from the anti-inflammatory properties of many of the ingredients in chai tea, specifically ginger and clove.
Ginger root has been shown to reduce inflammation, which can ease pain ranging from minor headaches to migraines. Ginger increases circulation, delivering oxygen-rich blood cells to areas with aches and pains to alleviate the symptoms.
IT CAN SUPPORT YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
If you're looking to build a healthy immune system, drinking a few cups of chai tea every day can help you achieve your goal. Cardamom has been a staple of Tibetan medicine for centuries and it contains high doses of vitamin C and other nutrients that keep your immune system healthy
Cardamom is grown in Guatemala, Sri Lanka, India and Tanzania and comes in two varieties, green and black. Green cardamom has a vibrant and balanced taste while black tends to have smoky flavor.
PROTECT OVERALL CELL HEALTH AND PREVENT CHRONIC DISEASE
Chai tea contains a high amount of antioxidants known as polyphenols that help to eliminate free radicals. Free radicals are compounds caused by pollutants and chemicals in foods and the surrounding environment that can cause cell damage. Free radicals have been linked to chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's as well as many types of cancer.