Karak Tea Benefits and Side Effects: What the Science Says

Search for “karak tea benefits” and you will find long lists: better digestion, stronger immunity, lower blood sugar, a healthier heart. Some of these come from studies on single ingredients, often in capsule form, and some have no evidence at all. In this guide we look at what is actually in a cup of karak tea, what research says about each ingredient, the possible side effects, and simple ways to make your daily karak better for you.

What Is in a Cup of Karak?

A classic cup of karak is made from four things: strong black tea, cardamom, milk (usually evaporated milk) and sugar. Many cafés and homes also add saffron, ginger, cinnamon or cloves. The tea and spices add almost no calories. Almost all the calories, and most of the health questions, come from the milk and the sugar. For the full recipe and calorie table, see what is karak tea.

Ingredient	What it adds	What to know
Black tea	Flavonoids (plant compounds) and caffeine	Linked with modest benefits in large studies
Cardamom	Aroma and flavour	Small trials, mostly with capsules
Ginger (optional)	Warmth and spice	May help nausea; can cause heartburn in some people
Evaporated or condensed milk	Creaminess, calcium, calories and fat	Condensed milk adds a lot of sugar
Sugar	Sweetness	The biggest downside of café karak

Possible Benefits of Karak Tea

No clinical study has tested karak tea as a drink. What we have is research on its ingredients. Here is what that research shows, and what it does not show.

1. Black tea: linked with a lower risk of death in large studies

The largest study so far followed about 498,000 adults in the UK Biobank for around 11 years. People who drank two or more cups of tea a day, mostly black tea, had a 9% to 13% lower risk of death from any cause than people who drank no tea. The link held whether or not people added milk or sugar^[1]. This is an observational study: it shows a link, not proof that tea causes the benefit, because tea drinkers may differ in other ways.

2. Cardamom: small trials, small effects

Cardamom gives karak its aroma. A 2024 review of 8 randomized trials found that cardamom reduced some markers of inflammation and lowered blood pressure slightly, but the authors said more studies are needed because the number of trials was small^[2]. The trials mostly gave cardamom as a supplement, usually a larger amount than the few pods that go into a pot of karak, so the effect of one cup is likely to be much smaller.

3. Ginger: may help with nausea

If your karak includes ginger, research suggests ginger may help with nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, while results for other types of nausea are mixed^[3]. Most of these studies used ginger supplements, not ginger tea. If you like ginger, try our ginger karak recipe.

4. Caffeine: a gentle lift

Black tea gives karak a moderate amount of caffeine, which is why many people drink it in the morning or on long drives. We estimate a small 150 ml cup of strong karak at about 40 to 80 mg of caffeine; see how much caffeine is in karak. That is usually less than a mug of brewed coffee.

What about digestion, immunity and blood sugar?

Many websites say karak improves digestion, boosts immunity or lowers blood sugar. We could not find good studies showing this for karak tea. Cinnamon is often mentioned for blood sugar, but it is still unclear whether cinnamon helps with diabetes^[8], and the sugar in a sweet cup of karak raises blood sugar. If you have diabetes, see the section on sugar below and speak to your doctor.

Does Milk Cancel the Benefits of Tea?

This question comes up often. A small 2007 study of 16 women found that black tea improved how well the arteries relaxed, but adding milk blocked this effect. The researchers suggested that milk proteins (caseins) bind to tea flavonoids^[5]. However, the much larger UK Biobank study found that the link between tea and lower risk of death was the same with or without milk^[1]. In short, the evidence is mixed, and milk is not a reason to stop enjoying karak.

Side Effects of Karak Tea: What to Watch

Sugar

Café karak is often very sweet. A small cup can contain about 2 to 4 teaspoons of sugar, and karak made with sweetened condensed milk can contain more. The World Health Organization recommends keeping free sugars below 10% of daily energy, and ideally below 5%, about 25 g or 6 teaspoons a day for an adult^[6]. Two or three sweet cups can use up most of that.

Calories and fat from the milk

Evaporated milk makes karak rich and creamy, and it also adds most of the calories and saturated fat. Sweetened condensed milk adds both fat and a lot of sugar. If you drink karak every day, a lighter milk or a smaller cup makes a real difference.

Caffeine

For healthy adults, the European Food Safety Authority considers up to 400 mg of caffeine a day safe, and up to 200 mg a day during pregnancy and breastfeeding^[4]. Karak alone rarely reaches this, but coffee, energy drinks and soft drinks add up. Karak late in the evening can also affect sleep.

Iron absorption

Tea reduces how much iron the body absorbs from plant foods such as bread, rice and beans. The effect matters mostly for people with low iron, and it is smaller when tea is drunk between meals rather than with them^[7]. If you have low iron, try to drink karak at least an hour before or after meals.

Sensitive stomach

Strong tea on an empty stomach can bother some people, and ginger can cause heartburn or stomach discomfort in some cases^[3]. If karak upsets your stomach, drink it after food and make it a little lighter.

How to Make Karak Tea Healthier

1. Cut the sugar first. Halve it, or switch to a sweetener such as stevia. Read our stevia sugar guide for the options.
2. Skip sweetened condensed milk. Use evaporated milk, fresh milk or a lighter milk instead.
3. Use a smaller cup. A traditional karak glass is about 150 ml.
4. Keep the spices. Cardamom, ginger and saffron add flavour without sugar.
5. Watch the timing. Enjoy it between meals, and avoid it late at night if caffeine keeps you awake.

If you have diabetes, a heart condition or another health condition, or you are pregnant, ask your doctor how karak fits into your diet. Our guide to stevia for diabetics explains how sugar-free sweeteners can help.

So, Is Karak Tea Healthy?

A cup of karak made with less sugar is a reasonable everyday drink for most healthy adults. Black tea and spices bring modest possible benefits, but they do not turn a very sweet, creamy drink into a health drink. The way you make it, especially the sugar and the type of milk, matters more than any single ingredient.

Karak Tea Benefits: Quick Questions

Sources

1. Inoue-Choi M, et al. Tea consumption and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in the UK Biobank: a prospective cohort study. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2022 (summary by the US National Institutes of Health). www.nih.gov
2. Effect of cardamom consumption on inflammation and blood pressure in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Food Science & Nutrition, 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Ginger: usefulness and safety. www.nccih.nih.gov
4. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine, 2015. www.efsa.europa.eu
5. Lorenz M, et al. Addition of milk prevents vascular protective effects of tea. European Heart Journal, 2007. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
6. World Health Organization. Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children, 2015. www.who.int
7. Zijp IM, Korver O, Tijburg LB. Effect of tea and other dietary factors on iron absorption. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2000. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
8. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Cinnamon: usefulness and safety. www.nccih.nih.gov

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