Chai is a common tea native to India. It is made with black tea that comes from the dried camellia sinesis plant. Green tea, another common variety, is made from fresh leaves of the same plant. Unlike green tea, chai tea is a milky tea spiced with ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardmom and pepper. Honey is also often added. The combination of ingredients in chai tea results in a number of benefits.
Antioxidants
Chai tea contains flanovoids, which are beneficial plant substances with antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help protect your cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Though they are a natural result of energy uptake, free radicals are unstable atoms because they have an unpaired number of electrons. So free radicals steal electrons from healthy cells in order to pair their own, which can cause damage to your cells, tissues and DNA. However, antioxidants seek out free radicals and bind to them, which neutralizes them and prevents their potential damage. Free radical damage is associated with the aging process.
Digestion
According to the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, the combination of spices in chai tea helps aid digestion. For example, cinnamon, one of the world's oldest spices, helps calm your digestive tract, notes the college. This is helpful if you are experiencing mild stomach discomfort or symptoms such as nausea.
Anti-Inflammation
Ginger is a common chai tea component. Ginger is a spice commonly used for food, but it also has health benefits. According to a review published in the summer 2005 issue of the "Journal of Medicinal Food," ginger has broad anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger contains substances that inhibit prostaglandins, which are involved in your body's inflammatory response. A common class of drugs, known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which includes aspirin and ibuprofen, work by inhibiting prostaglandins.
Caffeine
According to Medline Plus, black teas typically contain 40 to 140 mg of caffeine. The caffeine in chai tea can help you feel more alert and provide mild mood elevation. Black tea is also used for headaches and low blood pressure. Medline Plus also notes that women who drink black tea lower their risk of kidney stones by 8 percent.
References
- Medline Plus; Black Tea; December 2010
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University; Tea; Jane Higdon, Ph.D., et al.; July 2009
- "Journal of Medicinal Food"; Ginger - An Herbal Medicinal Product with Broad Anti-inflammatory Actions; R. Grzanna, et al.; Summer 2005
- Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chai Tea for Digestion
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