Milk and sugar?

The tea industry in the UK is worth £652,000,000 annually. That accounts for nearly 67 billion cups of tea! A drink made popular by the upper class, it is now one of the most down to earth and basic commodities you can buy.

What's the first thing that happens when you go over to somebody's house?

'Would you like a cuppa? Milk and sugar?'



The good news is that tea has a plethora of health benefits, but there is a problem. Most people have it with sugar and only very few have it straight up without milk.

First let's address the sugar. My opinion is going to be fairly predictable on this one, but there is good reason for it.

Tea contains caffeine, which makes people feel like they have lots of energy. Part of the reason for this is that the hormones which are stimulated by this drug release sugar and fat into our blood stream, ready for use. This is great news, but alongside this comes a concurrent rise in insulin. Whether this is a problem or not really is up for debate. Having said that, we can be sure that adding more sugar into your blood stream in its fastest digesting form can only make it worse.

So surprise, surprise it's a no to sugar if you want to lose body fat and stay as healthy as possible. The sugar may not make much of a difference but the 3 custard cremes definitely will.



The second point to address is the adding of milk to tea. We all know that milk is good for you as it contains vitamin D, calcium and natural sugars. But it is also bad for you because it is processed (homogenised and pasteurised), it contains simple sugars and most people are intolerant to dairy to a degree.

But I'm not bothered about that, there is something more interesting to talk about.

The adding of milk to tea neutralises it's antioxidant benefits. It does this in the upper GI tract by binding milk proteins (casein in particular) to the polyphenols in the tea. This means that they are unable to be absorbed and simply pass through.

To most, the antioxidant properties of tea are the only real benefit of the drink. If by adding milk every time, thinking it's just a bit of milk all they are left with is the effect of the caffeine.

This might be good, if they have it in the morning and don't over do it. However if you are someone who drinks a lot of tea and finds they have a hard time losing body fat off their stomach then tea may not be a good choice for you.

So, you're left with tea which is no longer the comforting pick me up which you love so much, but a bitter hot drink which offers nothing like the same feeling.



Instead go for licorice tea, chai tea, mint tea or any other herbal tea which can offer you a taste you like.

Alternatively if you have a sweet tooth but need a caffeine kick, go for a green tea blend which takes some of the edge of the bitterness. You will get all of the health benefits and all of the comfort in one go!