Expert

“While choosing snacks for tea time, always make sure to choose something low in oil, moderate to low calorie, with some nutritional value. Also, maintain a small portion size to complete the requirement for an hour or two,” suggested Das.

Few people have the habit of having tea/chai multiple times in on a single day. They become either nutrient deficient or have stomach issues like bloating, acidity and gastritis or insulin sensitive.

“Habits like having tea along with meals are again the reason for disruption in nutrient absorption. The tannins present in tea do act as antioxidants, but again, they combine with the iron and calcium ions and form other compounds, which get removed through urine or faeces, thus disturbing the absorption of iron and calcium ions in the gut,” explained Das. 

Tea, while it acts as a good source of a wake-up alarm, multiple cups can disrupt your gut health. According to Das, the tannins found in tea are good, but multiple cups of it only take away the antioxidants it can provide. Some points to keep in mind while consuming tea during the monsoon, as per Das, include: 

• The best way and time to drink tea or coffee is 1/2 hour to 1 hour before or after meals. 

“To have tea with snacks, the ideal time is mid-morning or evening, to fill the gap between lunch and dinner,” advised Das.

“Well, we do consume adrakwali chai or ginger tea in our households early morning, evening, monsoon or winter. Also, we can have tulsi tea as a core ingredient or in combination with ginger or dry spices, making it as kahwa/kashaya/kadha. This helps in relieving sore throat and cold, which mostly happen during monsoon and winter. Also, the same items can be added to the black tea, green tea or lemon tea. Mulethi mostly works better when added as a core ingredient in the tea.”

People with stomach issues, inflammation, diarrhoea or hot flashes when consuming milk tea should avoid drinking tea to further aggravate these conditions. Instead, have black tea or lemon tea with black pepper or ginger or tulsi,” advised Das.

With rain pouring and the clouds all dark and gloomy, it is easy to turn to a comforting cup of tea or coffee. However, it is not all good. Sometimes, an honest cup of tea turns into a nightmare, causing problems like constipation, diarrhoea and stomach pain. But the good news is that, when it comes to tea, moderation is key! So, sip mindfully and eat consciously.