How Spiced (Chai Tea) Can Improve Your Health?

1. How Spiced (Chai Tea) Can Improve Your Health? In many parts of the world, "chai" is simply another word for tea. In the West, however, Chai (aka Chai Tea) has become synonymous with a fragrant, flavorful, and milky Indian style masala chai. There are many different types of chai on the market, with even more homemade recipes that use various combinations of teas, spices, and herbs. Each one produces distinct flavours and aromas that distinguish such beverages from standard teas. Furthermore, chai tea has numerous health benefits such as heart health, digestion, hormone stabilisation, lowering blood sugar, immunity strengthening, and many more. WHAT MAKES CHAI TEA SO BENEFICIAL? Chai is widely regarded as a uniquely Indian beverage with a history dating back thousands of years. Some chai legends date back as far as 9,000 years, telling of an ancient Indian king who commissioned the creation of a cleansing and vivifying beverage in Ayurvedic traditional medicine. The original "chai" was a mixture of spices and herbs steeped as an elixir rather than tea. Ayurvedic medicine went on to produce various chai recipes, which were initially used as healing remedies but later evolved into local populations' traditional practises. The British colonisation of India in the 1900s increased tea consumption and mandated "tea time" for the general population. The tea, when combined with spices and later milk, gave rise to the modern- day "masala chai" aka "chai tea" that we know today.

2. Popular recipes include black tea with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, and black pepper, brewed with both water and milk and sweetened to taste. Since chai's original purpose was always to promote health, many other saffron masala chai recipes have evolved, incorporating a variety of spices (ginger, nutmeg, star anise, turmeric) and herbs (tulsi) as well as tea varieties (black, oolong, green and white). These spiced mixtures contain a variety of active ingredients that have been linked to a variety of health benefits. TOP HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHAI TEA 1. CHAI TEA CONTAINS MORE ANTIOXIDANTS 1. CHAI TEA HAS MORE ANTIOXIDANTS

3. Spices, herbs, and teas are high in phytonutrients, many of which have been shown to be powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants are essential because they regulate the ever-increasing populations of unstable molecules known as free radicals, which are byproducts of millions of metabolic reactions within the body. Free radicals react violently with cell materials and tissues, causing oxidation damage. The body maintains internal balance (homeostasis) by using antioxidants to control free radical levels. Poor air quality, anxiety, smoking, and a poor diet all contribute to rising levels of free radicals. Increased free radical concentrations cause ongoing oxidative damage known as oxidative stress, which has been linked to a variety of chronic diseases, including neurodegeneration, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and premature ageing. Many plant foods contain antioxidant-rich nutrients that have been tested and quantified. The results were quantified as ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) values and tabulated based on nutrient density, with foods with the highest antioxidant levels often referred to as superfoods. Spices and herbs are the most powerful superfoods, with the highest ORAC values. This is not by chance, as spices have long been used as healing agents by ancient medicines. Consider cloves, a common ingredient in most chai tea recipes. Cloves have a high ORAC value of 290,283 and are high in flavonoids such as (vitamins A, C, and E) as well as its main ingredient eugenol. Eugenol is a potent antioxidant that has been shown to be 5 times more effective than vitamin E at destroying free radicals (another powerful antioxidant). Cloves contain numerous reactive polyphenols, such as eugenol, each of which contributes to a plethora of health benefits. Cinnamon is another antioxidant powerhouse, with an ORAC value of 131,420. Piperine, found in black pepper, is not only a powerful antioxidant, but it also improves bioavailability—the absorption of other health-beneficial compounds into the bloodstream. Piperine has been shown to increase curcumin (turmeric) absorption by 2000%. 2. INCREASE YOUR FOCUS AND BRAIN POWER WITH CHAI Dementia, as well as other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, have been linked to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.

4. Chai tea contains antioxidants that can cross the highly selective blood-brain barrier (BBB), access brain cells, and protect them from free radical attacks and neuroinflammation. Ginger's potent antioxidants improve cognition and protect neural cells from damage associated with dementia and Alzheimer's disease, making it a promising candidate for brain research. Other chai spices, such as fennel, turmeric, and cinnamon, demonstrate brain health benefits. Anethole (from fennel) improves neural communication and memory, whereas cinnamaldehyde (from cinnamon) and curcumin (from turmeric) inhibit inflammation of brain tissue and reduce Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease symptoms. 3. USE CHAI TO IMPROVE YOUR MOOD AND DE-STRESS The development of psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder has been linked to neuroinflammation and oxidative stress (PTSD). Some of the factors associated with mental health can be alleviated by the antioxidants found in chai tea. Smelling cardamom, for example, has been shown to alleviate anxiety and depression symptoms. Spices are beneficial to the brain because their antioxidants scavenge free radicals, protect nerve cells, and signaling neurotransmitters, thereby increasing function and keeping brain tissue active and healthy. Cinnamon improves memory and cognition while lowering anxiety via anti-inflammatory mechanisms that improve insulin sensitivity and reduce oxidative stress. Star anise is another spice that is high in antioxidants like anethole and has a variety of health benefits, including antidepressant properties. These phytonutrients boost key neurotransmitters in the brain (norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine), which help to stabilise mood and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. 4. USE CHAI TO IMPROVE YOUR SKIN FROM THE INSIDE OUT The skin is the body's largest organ. UV radiation from sun exposure harms skin cells and contributes to oxidative stress. The spices and herbs in chai tea contain antioxidants that protect the skin from sun damage. They increase the production of structural proteins such as collagen and elastin, as well as immune cytokines (TGF-beta), while decreasing inflammation-causing factors.

5. Coriander is one of these spices that has been shown to help with skin conditions such as eczema, irritations, rashes, pimples, and acne. Coriander shields skin cells from free radicals, eliminates toxic metals, and boosts antioxidant levels in the blood. Other powerful skin rejuvenators include star anise and fennel. Both are high in vitamins A and C, as well as anethole, which fights inflammation and oxidation while replenishing skin cells. 5. STOMACH ISSUES? SPICED CHAI CAN HELP! Bengal spice tea has numerous digestive benefits, and a sweet and fragrant spice tray is traditionally served after meals.

6. However, in addition to after-meal sweet spices, black pepper improves digestion in a variety of ways. First, the active ingredient piperine in black pepper increases gastric acids (hydrochloric—HCl) inside the stomach, which speeds up digestion and nutrient absorption while reducing symptoms of indigestion, heartburn, and bloating. When combined with coriander or turmeric, black pepper increases digestive enzymes and secretes more bile acid, further improving the digestive process. Black pepper is well-known for its ability to relieve flatulence, constipation, and diarrhoea, providing relief comparable to medication used to treat gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Ginger is another digestive superfood that can help with conditions like dyspepsia by increasing stomach emptying by 25 to 50 percent. Indigestion can also lead to stomach ulcers, which are caused by an inflated stomach lining. The antioxidants 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol found in ginger can reduce ulcer formation and discomfort via anti-inflammatory pathways. 6. DETOXIFY WITH CHAI Chai tea contains spices that not only reduce inflammation and improve metabolism, but also reduce toxins and improve organ function. Fennel is a detox powerhouse, with 14 active ingredients that fight oxidative stress and protect vital filtering organs like the liver and kidneys from damage. Fennel can also inhibit the CYP3A4 enzyme, increasing the bioavailability of medications or active compounds. This results in lower drug doses or fewer treatments with fewer side effects. Coriander in chai tea is a powerful cleanser and chelating agent. Coriander's water-soluble antioxidants bind to and remove toxic metals (lead) from vital organs such as the liver, testes, blood vessels, and brain, all while improving the body's natural antioxidant enzymes and organ function. Nutmeg is another important detoxifying spice. By increasing fat burning, its active ingredients protect the liver from damage and disease. The procedure extends lipid metabolism via PRAR- alpha receptors, reducing overall inflammation at the expense of fat storage. 7. USE CHAI TO BOOST IMMUNITY AND FIGHT SUPERBUGS Chai tea's bioactive compounds provide numerous health benefits, including anti-fungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties.

7. For more than 30 years, shikimic acid found in star anise has been used to create the antiviral vaccine Oseltamivir (also known as Tamilflu), a successful treatment for bird flu. The star- shaped spice has been shown to be effective against 67 antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, as well as the most common infectious fungal strains such as Candida albicans (C. albicans). Cloves are yet another antioxidant powerhouse with numerous antimicrobial properties that combat dangerous strains such as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori-stomach ulcer-causing bacteria), and Candida albicans (fungi). Cloves also prevent the replication of some DNA-based viruses, such as herpes simplex virus type 1. (HSV- 1). Ginger's abilities include the ability to treat fungal and bacterial infections. Ginger kills a variety of mouth fungi and athlete's foot. Ginger was found to be the most effective fungus killing agent among 29 anti-fungi plant varieties tested. This microbial wrecking ball is effective against drug- resistant bacteria [37], gum disease infections (gingivitis and periodontitis), and viral respiratory tract infections (bronchiolitis and pneumonia). 8. CHAI CAN HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR HEART HEALTH. The phytonutrient profile of chai tea ingredients has been studied and found to have numerous benefits, including a healthier heart and cardiovascular system. Through vasomodulation (neural regulation of blood flow) and vasodilatation (relaxation of blood vessels), black pepper's impressive antioxidant profile lowers blood pressure and overall cholesterol levels. Piperine in black pepper lowers several hypertension markers in the same way that common blood pressure medications do, while also increasing the bioavailability of many other powerful antioxidants (like curcumin). Cloves are still used in Ayurvedic and traditional medicine to improve blood circulation. Eugenol, found in clove oil, is a natural blood thinner that has been shown to be 29 times more effective than aspirin in reducing the formation of blood clots (platelet aggregation). Other active ingredients in chai tea spices (cinnamon, fennel, turmeric, and black pepper) have also been linked to improved cardiovascular health and a reduction in blot clots.