Spice up your tea this winter for warmth and health

HOT beverages are synonymous with winter because they keep the body warm from within. Wearing your cosiest woollens and sipping a steaming beverage is the order of the day this season. Did you know that adding a few spices to your tea can be beneficial to your health?

In winter, a hot cup of spiced tea can provide your body with much-needed warmth to combat the bone-chilling cold. Spices such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, saffron and ginger warm the body, while also increasing metabolism and immunity.

Spices have been used in tea for nearly as long as tea has been consumed, and there are many spiced tea drinks to choose from. Three of the best-known spiced teas that should not be overlooked in the winter are:

◆ Masala chai, also known as chai tea: A popular spiced beverage. It can be made with a single spice (such as ginger or cloves) or with a combination of spices. Despite its origins in northern India, chai is now consumed worldwide.

◆ Ginger tea: Many spiced tea blends and freshly brewed spicy teas contain ginger. Green tea, black tea, puerh tea, and even oolong tea complement ginger well. It gives teas a warming, tangy, slightly sweet flavour. Ginger has been used in tea since antiquity and is found in teas all over the world.

◆ Cinnamon tea: Cinnamon is usually used to flavour black teas, but it can also be used to flavour green, oolong, or puerh teas. It has a sweet, warming taste that goes well with fruit ingredients in tea drinks.

Benefits of spiced tea

◆ Boosts immunity: Antioxidants in spiced tea help to boost the body’s immune system and fight cold and flu symptoms.

◆ Inflammation: Warm blends aid in the reduction of inflammation and pain. It is said that drinking saffron-infused tea or putting a few cloves in a boiling kettle of drinking water can help relieve pain by lowering inflammation in the body.

◆ Weight loss: Because spiced teas are low in calories but high in nutritional value, they are an ideal beverage to lose weight. Squeezing a few drops of lemon juice into your tea acts as an excellent body tonic and aids in hunger control.

◆ Blood circulation: Due to a lack of activity, our bodies stiffen and blood circulation weakens during winter. Cinnamon tea improves blood circulation while also controlling blood sugar levels.

◆ Improved digestion: During winter, heavier foods, as well as a tendency to sit and avoid movement, increase the risk of digestive problems. Tea steeped with ginger, mint or star anise can aid digestion and relieve gastric distress, especially when consumed after or in between meals.

◆ Energy boost: Commercial energy drinks frequently contain high amounts of caffeine, which can be harmful to one’s health. But spiced tea can be used as a natural energy booster with few to no negative side effects because it is high in critical nutrients and minerals. |