For maximum health benefits, drinking tea without milk is generally healthier, as milk proteins can bind to antioxidants (polyphenols) in tea, potentially reducing their absorption and effectiveness for heart health. However, tea with milk still offers nutrients like calcium and vitamin D, and some studies suggest the impact might be minimal or depend on brewing time, so the best choice depends on personal preference and whether maximizing antioxidants or adding milk's nutrients is the priority.
Lower Calorie Intake
Adding milk and sugar to tea significantly increases its calorie content. Drinking tea without milk allows for a virtually calorie-free beverage, which can be beneficial for weight management or maintaining a healthy diet.
7 Ways to Make Your Next Cup of Tea Even Healthier
Not only was adding milk seen as a means of cooling the tea down and improving on the bitterness of the beverage, it also prevented the boiling water from cracking the porcelain mugs.
Looking at Russia and the middle east, you'll find nations of tea lovers who like their black teas without milk, sweet and strong. They like a deep red intensity of colour in their cups. This is the way to drink tea in Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Russia and eastern Europe.
It can help counteract the tannin's astringent or bitter aspects and adds a few calories and nutrients to an otherwise nutritionally bereft beverage. Modern research also shows that adding milk can decrease the staining effects of tea on teeth and, presumably, mugs and pots as well.
Myth: Milk Diminishes Tea's Health Benefits
One of the most pervasive myths is that milk in tea diminishes its health benefits. While it's true that adding milk to tea can slightly alter its antioxidant properties, the overall health benefits remain substantial.
Key Findings: Starting a tea habit helped: People who began drinking tea during the study showed slower biological aging than those who never drank it. Consistency counts: Those who consistently drank tea over time aged more slowly than non-drinkers.
Here is how to avoid buying toxic tea: 1) Buy loose leaf tea and brew your own tea from scratch. 2) When possible, avoid tea from China. 3) Buy organic, GMO free tea from companies that report where their tea is grown and how it is harvested.
In fact, drinking too much tea can reduce your iron absorption, increase anxiety and stress due to excessive caffeine, cause poor sleep patterns, increase stomach issues including nausea, cause headaches and heartburn, be dangerous for pregnant women, and create a caffeine dependency.
In the pastoral regions of China, such as the Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Tibet, nomadic communities follow the process of initially crushing the tea leaves and subsequently infusing them in boiling water. The tea is then boiled, followed by the addition of milk, which is stirred into the mixture.
Although typically served with milk, it is also common to drink certain varieties black or with lemon.
Gen Z isn't drinking as much milk due to health concerns (lactose intolerance, acne), ethical/environmental worries about dairy farming, the influence of social media promoting alternatives, increased awareness of dairy's downsides, and a desire for healthier, more personalized options like plant-based milks, though they still enjoy other dairy products like cheese and yogurt. They question traditional health advice and are swayed by peer culture and eco-consciousness, leading them toward alternatives for taste, values, and lifestyle fit.
Reasons to Avoid Overconsumption of Tea
Massive black tea consumption has been linked to kidney failure due to its high oxalate content (acute oxalate nephropathy).
That's why so many wonder: “How can I look younger naturally?” While aging is inevitable, you can slow down visible signs by focusing on hydration, sun protection, antioxidant-rich foods, and regular facial exercises. These help maintain skin elasticity and reduce wrinkles naturally.
“Never squeeze your teabags, as this can make your tea taste bitter due to the release of tannic acids,” explains Angela Pryce, senior tea buyer at Whittard. “Instead lift it out carefully after 3-5 minutes of brewing.” Our expert Dr Bond says five minutes is the optimum time to let your tea brew.
Green Tea is green tea. You don't put milk into it. You might ask for Green Tea and sugar/sweetener. Black Tea without milk is Tea, or to be clear just "Tea, no milk".
Not only was adding milk seen as a means of cooling the tea down and improving on the bitterness of the beverage, it also prevented the boiling water from cracking the porcelain mugs.
“Green tea wins as the most healthy tea,” says Ashley Simper, the manager of dietetic services with OSF HealthCare “Drinking green tea, at least three or more cups a day, leads to health benefits when it comes to cardiovascular disease, cancer and the overall risk of mortality.”
Here are ten health benefits of tea:
No tea is too complex or delicate to enjoy with milk. You can put milk in green tea. White tea can be great with milk, and oolong tea with milk can be beautiful. The worst kind of tea to drink with milk is a tea that does not taste good on its own.