Contrary to popular opinion, tea is the world’s most popular drink after water – not coffee. While some in the West may disagree, this brewed drink is very well loved and appreciated across the world in Europe, Africa and especially in Asia. Due to the popularity of this drink, there are many flavours and blends to choose from. One of the most popular types of tea is chai tea. In this article we shall be exploring the benefits of chai tea on your health, its nutrition facts, as well as any possible side effects.
Quick fact to note – Did you know that when you order chai tea you are just asking for ‘tea tea’? In Hindi and Swahili the word ‘chai’ literally translates to tea. This word can also be traced to China, as the Chinese word for tea is Chá.
Trivia aside, chai tea, also known as masala or spiced tea, is a milky brew made with a selection of different spices. This now beloved drink originated from India (as far back as 9,000 years ago where it was used as an Ayurvedic beverage) which has a long history of colonization, forced labour, and classism (30, 27).
Despite the rough and painful history, the brew managed to remain resilient and made its way from India, through South Asia, to Britain and now is enjoyed all over the world.
At a glance, the making of masala tea seems pretty easy. After all, it’s just some tea, milk, some spice or two, right? Wrong. Making a proper cup of spiced tea takes more than this. Here is how it should be done (30, 32).
While you can find different versions of fancy boxed chai tea bags at the store, black tea is the most commonly used base for chai. Not only was it the most easily accessible and cheapest option for the poor Indians during colonization times but it is also said to hold on to flavour more giving you a stronger cup of masala chai.
You cannot make chai without milk. Traditionally, people often used either cow or buffalo milk. However, today the type of milk used all depends on preference. Vegans or people with lactose intolerance can use plant based options such as oat, pea, and hemp milk, while anyone tired of cow’s milk (or seeking to be adventurous in the kitchen) can use goat, sheep, or even camel milk.
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In the West, the most commonly used spices for this drink are cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon. In the East, however, Indians often make their favourite cup of masala chai with a variety of spices like ginger, green or black cardamom, black pepper, clove, cinnamon, fennel, rose, mint, lemongrass, holy basil (tulsi), carom seeds, star anise, nutmeg, or saffron.
The spices can be used either fresh or dried – it all depends on family tradition and preference.
Plain white sugar is the most common sweetener used for spiced tea across the world. You can also use cane sugar if you can find it or just some honey. Stevia and other zero calorie sweeteners can also come in handy.
Dumping the spices in a cup then adding milk and water and sticking the cup in a microwave will not work for this one. You will need to do everything in a pot and on the stove. The boiling method itself is also mostly dependent on preference. You can either:
If your family has a history of making masala chai, using your beloved spiced tea recipe is the easiest way to go. If you are a beginner to all of this, we suggest experimenting with different spices, sweeteners, and boiling methods to find out what works for you.
For those craving some chai tea but could not be bothered to go through the entire brewing process, you could choose to just buy some from your local café or look for some authentic South Asian chai blends and concentrates for the best chai tea drinking experience.
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Depending on where you look, some sources state that a cup of chai tea has about 60 calories while a cup of unsweetened chai tea has zero calories. We, however, state that none of these answers are correct.
As stated in the section above, masala chai is made with four main parts namely the water, spices, milk and a sweetener of choice. While the water and spices obviously have zero calories, the milk and sweetener do – and depending on the exact type each option used you can have more calories or less.
For example:
This, however, does not mean that chai tea nutrition facts are lacking. Chai tea benefits are usually packed in whichever spices are added during the brewing process.
As mentioned above, the health benefits of chai tea are usually hidden in the type of spices as well as the milk used to make each delicious cup. Here is how a having a single cup each day could improve your health
If you have constant issues with bloating and indigestion, then having some chai tea with or after your meals could mean a world of difference. Common masala tea spices such as ginger fennel and mint have been shown to help ease such problems.
Other studies have also shown that peppermint oil not only helps food pass through the stomach faster -which can help counter indigestion – but it also when consumed, has similar effects on the body as many indigestion medications (31, 8).
Please note that while these studies on mint were done on the oil rather than fresh or dried leaves or powder, adding these variations to your chai tea probably wouldn’t hurt.
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According to the CDC in 2019 alone, over half a million deaths in the United States were due to high blood pressure aka Hypertension (13). But the US is not the only country afflicted by this disease. In 2013, a study published by the Journal of Hypertension revealed that a third of the cases and deaths in a Tanzanian hospital were related to hypertension (20). Today, the World Health Organization considers hypertension as a major cause of premature death worldwide (19).
When it comes to the health benefits of chai tea, lowering blood pressure and reducing your risk of cardiovascular illnesses caused by this condition is one of the advantages of this drink. According to a study published earlier this year in September by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a diet high in herbs and spices can help improve blood pressure, especially in adults at elevated risk of cardiometabolic diseases (18).
Since masala chai is already spiced, it works towards reducing your risk of hypertension. However, to ensure that you are getting the most out of your spiced tea, be sure to add the following spices as you brew your drink:
If you often feel yourself getting tired, lethargic, and forgetful throughout the day or even the afternoon, try some chai tea instead of that energy drink – chai tea has way less sugar than any energy drink out there. Chai tea benefits in relation to increased energy levels come from the following
When it comes to ‘what are the benefits of chai tea spices’, pain management is probably the very last thing that anyone would ever consider. However, studies have shown that spices, including those often used to make masala chai can help with this issue.
One review done by The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, showed that consuming just 2 grams of ginger per day for 5 days may modestly reduce muscle pain from resistance exercise and running (15).
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All the spices often used in making spiced tea are filled with antioxidants which help fight against oxidative stress in the body. When out of balance, oxidative stress can cause irreparable damage to cells in our bodies which causes them to either malfunction or die.
Once this happens, your body is left vulnerable to many illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, atherosclerosis, cancer, and heart disease, among many other conditions. These antioxidants also help to support your immune system (24).
Spices like ginger, black pepper, and cloves are believed to offer reduction in total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and VLDL cholesterol and even increase in the HDL ‘good’ cholesterol.
If you are concerned about the side effects of drinking too much chai tea, the only significant issue that you could be concerned about is ingesting too much caffeine. While this stimulant can boost your energy levels, consuming too much of it can have some damning effects.
Too much caffeine can lead to nutrient deficiencies (tannins in tea can block the body from absorbing iron (28), increased anxiety, stress, and restlessness, insomnia and other sleep issues, heartburn (9), headaches (4), and caffeine dependence which can lead to withdrawal symptoms once you choose to reduce your intake (5). Pregnant and breastfeeding women need to limit their caffeine intake according to their doctor’s advice.
After a close look at chai benefits and side effects, it is easy to see that chai tea benefits outweigh the side effects by a mile. If you have been considering adding this drink to your diet, we say most people can feel comfortable to do so but just as with everything else, do it with moderation so you can avoid the above-mentioned side effects. However, if you are pregnant, we highly suggest first speaking to your doctor to see if this brew would be okay for you and your baby.
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