Tea or chai has become a comfort beverage for many. Let’s take a look at the health benefits of chai tea vs green tea.
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| Chai Tea vs Green Tea |
Masala Chai vs Green Tea: What’s the Difference?
Tea has, in recent times, become a comfort beverage for many. A lot of varieties of the beverage have also popped up in restaurants, large café chains and for at home consumption as well. But, one thing is for certain, it is no longer the drink of snooty colonial elites but rather a refreshing every day beverage for everyone.
According to studies, 80% of households in the US, 96% in India and 84% in the UK have tea at their homes or consume tea regularly. The trend is similar in most of the other countries as well. So well known and loved is the drink that it is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water.
Among these, two of the most well known types of tea across the globe are the masala tea and the green tea. Interestingly, both the masala tea and the green tea are some of the oldest varieties of the beverage with their own distinct heritage and brand such as Brew Cafe is one such manufacturers.
Green tea is the oldest form, as it originated in the Yunan region of China as a medicinal potion made form unprocessed green tea leaves. Masala tea, or chai tea as some call it, is a drink first made popular in India. Both have been known for their medicinal properties and health benefits. However, making a choice between the two based on their heath benefits can be a difficult proposition. This article will help you to learn more about the differences between the benefits of chai tea vs green tea.
What are the main differences between green tea and chai tea?
There are a variety of reasons why there is a difference between the two teas apart from the smell and the taste. We discuss some of them below:
The process
Green tea and chai tea have very different manufacturing process. Green tea is traditionally made with hand picked whole leaves of the tea plant. No additional processing is done on the tea leaves. This means that the tea leaves undergo very little oxidation during the process. On the other hand, the tea made for the chai tea is made by fermenting the tea leaves and then processing them. As a result of this process, there is greater amount of oxidation in this process to the tea leaves. But this alone cannot be the determinant of health benefits of tea. A lot of other aspects also need to be understood.
The ingredients
Green tea is traditionally drunk by itself with no additives. It is a slightly bitter drink that has a lot of anti-oxidants which can help in fighting the ageing process. It also helps in improving the metabolic function, improves blood circulation, reduces stress and anxiety among other things. Some do drink green tea with some added ingredients like lemon, honey, mint, etc. which each bring their own health benefits to the table as well. On the other hand, chai tea or masala tea, as is traditionally known, is a concoction of fermented tea and several other spices. Although the anti-oxidant levels in this type of tea can be reduced, but the added spices make up for the deficiency, especially those like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, etc. They provided added benefits as well.
Caffeine and Flavonoid content
Caffeine is also an important element of the beverage, although it is in far lesser quantity than in coffee. Caffeine in greater quantities can heighten your senses, make you feel more alert and alter your sleep cycle. In that light, green tea has lesser caffeine content than masala tea. However, of note is the fact that the quantities in both the types of tea is small enough to not cause any of the above mentioned side effects. Flavonoid content is also thing that needs to be seen. Green tea contains the flavonoid catechin in larger quantities while chai tea has a greater proportion of theaflavins and thearubigins. These flavonoids act as anti-oxidants which are extremely beneficial for healthy living.
What are the health benefits of green tea vs chai tea?
As discussed above there are several differences between green tea and chai tea. These differences will help us to understand the differences in heath benefits that these can provide:
Menstrual cramps: Chai tea has been known to have soothing effects during menstrual cramps. This is because of its anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce muscular inflammation. Thus, it can help in soothing the experience of menstrual cramps to some extent. On the other hand, green tea also has a similar effect but to a much lesser degree.
Anti-ageing: Beverages rich in anti-oxidants have anti ageing properties. This is because of the presence of anti-oxidants which counteract the oxidation of the cells which lead to the ageing process. Flavonoids are the agents mainly responsible for this process. Green tea being rich in catechins (which is a flavonoid) is extremely rich in anti-oxidants. On the other hand, chai tea is rich in the flavonids theaflavins and thearubigins which also act as anti-oxidants. However, they use different mechanisms to do the same. Therefore, for a well rounded benefit, it is recommended that we maintain a routine of different kinds of tea in our diet.
Help in anxiety and stress: Both varieties of tea have shown promising results in managing stress and anxiety levels. Compounds like cortisol which are naturally present in both of these types of tea help in regulating the stress levels. Thus, incorporating this habit can help in improving the overall health and peace of mind.
Cardiac health: Both varieties of tea have shown efficiency in improving the cardiovascular health. They act by preventing the deposit of bad cholesterol in the arteries. This helps keep the blood pressure levels normal and thus help the over all health of the person.
Verdict
Both green tea and chai tea have their own benefits and some of them have been discussed above. In addition to these, both types of tea can help to bolster immunity, provide a glowing skin and help you to lead a healthier lifestyle. While each of these two types of tea act in slightly different ways and have slightly different benefits, both are very important for a healthy lifestyle. We recommend a healthy routine of both types of tea in the daily life to ensure that we receive the well-rounded benefits of both. Of course, we need to keep in mind that adding excess sugar or artificial additives can counteract some of the health benefits of tea, whichever kind may it be.