Health benefits of the Original Blend

Our original Shaah blend has all-natural ingredients with no additives, so let’s look at the benefits of each ingredient:

Black Tea Leaves

After water, tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world! All tea leaves stem from the Camellia Sinensis plant. What differentiates the different types of teas is the method of harvesting and processing of the plant 1.

Part of that process is the oxidation process, which happens when the leaves are exposed to air for a prolonged amount of time. At this point, there are enzymes that break down the chemicals in the leaves – this produces the familiar brown colour and scent of the tea. Oxidation also gives black tea some of its nutritional benefits, such as: reduced risk of several types of cancers, protection against atherosclerosis and maintaining a healthy blood pressure 1.

Black tea has also been found to be high in antioxidants, which are also known as “free radical scavengers”. They prevent or slow down the damage caused to cells by free radicals (waste substances produced by cells). If the body cannot remove the free radicals effectively, oxidative stress can happen. Oxidative stress is linked to heart disease, cancer, arthritis, stroke, respiratory diseases, immune deficiency, etc. Antioxidants are produced by the body or consumed through our diet and have been found to neutralize the free radicals which boosts overall health and reduces the risks of cancer, diabetes, and anti-inflammatory conditions 2.

Cardamom 

In a study conducted on 20 adults who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, researchers gave 3 g/day of cardamom powder to each adult. After 12 weeks on these 3 grams a day regiment, it was noted that the blood pressure of the participants had significantly decreased 3.

Cardamom has been found to help reduce blood pressure through its diuretic and antioxidant properties. Diuretics promote urination to remove water buildup in the body. Cardamom has been found to promote this through increasing urination and decreasing blood pressure. Antioxidants, as mentioned previously, prevent, or slow down the damage caused to cells by free radicals 3.

Cardamom has also been linked to helping with metabolic syndrome which is a group of conditions that lead to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Some of those conditions include high blood sugar and high cholesterol 4.

In a study with women who were overweight, prediabetic and had high cholesterol, researchers have found that after 8-weeks of taking cardamom, the results showed that the women had lower levels of C-reactive protein, inflammatory proteins, and other markers that can contribute to health problems 4.

Similarly, another study conducted on 83 participants who had type 2 diabetes showed that there were improved hemoglobin A1c and insulin levels after taking cardamom for 10 weeks 4.

A great bonus to having cardamom is the positive effects it has on oral health! It has been historically used as breath fresheners for centuries and was found to fight bacteria in the mouth that were linked to bad breath, cavities, and gum disease. Cardamom also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and these reduce the chances of infections and other bacteria induced issues 3.

Cinnamon

Cinnamomum is the inner bark of trees that cinnamon is made from. Cinnamon has been linked to various health benefits when taken in small doses; the effective dose is between 1 and 6 grams which would be roughly 0.5 to 2 teaspoons a day 5.

In a 2011 study, researchers have concluded that cinnamon helps to reduce the body’s negative response to high fat meals. Six participants in the study consumed food with 14g of spice blends; their blood results showed that antioxidant activity went up by 13%, insulin response fell by 21% and triglycerides went down by 31%. These results are showing that the effect of cinnamon helps reduce the negative impacts of the high fats in the food 6.

In addition to that, cinnamon is also known to lower blood sugar by reducing the amount of glucose (sugar) entering the bloodstream after a meal. It also reduces insulin resistance and is full of powerful antioxidants, such as polyphenols 6.

Shall we have some tea? 

After reading these health benefits, who doesn’t want a cup of our original Shaah Tea blend? However, keep in mind, anything in excess has risks associated with it; up to three-four cups of tea a day is safe to drink with no adverse effects.

Drink in moderation and be aware that adding milk, cream, sugar and syrups to tea increases the calorie content and may reduce its health benefits.