Drinking tea can be done in many ways, there are some cultures that combine it with other herbs, such as spearmint or mint. It is also prepared in the form of tizana with fruits, other teas and they add cinnamon. There is another way to mix it very often, mostly in the UK and Morocco, is by using milk. In this post we will tell you if can you add milk to green tea?
The origin of adding milk to green tea comes from the United Kingdom, where the British were the first to adopt it in this way. The first species that arrived in this country was from China, although over time India covered this market with the Camelia Sinensis species. This species had a strong flavor that the British were not used to, so they chose to add cow’s milk.
This custom has not only been adopted by the British, but has spread to other regions of the world, such as Morocco and some South American countries. They have even combined it with almond, soy, coconut or oats, considered detox drinks, both hot and cold.
So can milk be added to green tea?
One of the favorite teas for people who are committed to good health and beauty is green tea. Precisely because of its antioxidants that are provided by the polyphenols present in its leaves. It also reduces bad fat and cholesterol in the body, which is why it is widely consumed to lose weight.
Other of its benefits is its contribution of energy to the body and it is said that it reduces the possibility of suffering from skin or lung cancer. However, many of these benefits may be diminished by adding milk or other things. We will mention some of these reasons:
- By adding green tea milk the amount will be reduced and therefore its benefits too. The recommended is a daily cup, but only tea.
- It is common for people to add sugar or some sweetener to sweeten it. With this, the drink would not contribute to the weight loss process that you want to achieve.
- Can milk be added to green tea? When it is done it loses aroma and taste. If you don’t like green tea, there’s no point in wanting to change its flavor with milk. It is best that you try another type of drink or only drink milk, because that way you will not take advantage of the properties that green tea will provide you.
But there are other compelling reasons that it is good to pay attention. With this we do not mean that drinking it with milk is really bad, but it is not recommended to drink it like this.
Why can’t you drink it with milk?
We already know some of them that we have just mentioned, but there are others that are important to take into account and that we will explain. There is scientific evidence that supports that add milk to tea green decreases its beneficial effects and not only that, it changes its characteristics.
Milk is composed of calcium, vitamin D and protein, precisely in this last component is where the problem lies. For the simple reason that these proteins called caseins are the cause of nullifying the benefits of green tea in the cardiovascular system. Why is this happening? Because the caseins act on the tea, reducing the concentration of catechins that green tea has and which are the ones that protect the circulatory system and prevent fat from sticking to the arteries.
On the other hand, when add milk to green tea the body does not absorb antioxidants, precisely because of the caseins that prevent it.
Can milk be added to green tea? how to drink it
With what was explained above, it does not mean that adding milk to tea green is harmful. What we mean is that the properties of the tea are not used properly. But if you like to drink it mixed with milk, here are some tips so you don’t minimize the benefits it has.
- Skim milk. Can milk be added to green tea? If you are going to do it, prefer skimmed milk, because if you do it with regular milk, its proteins will act on the tea and, therefore, its properties will not be used. It also adds more fat and calories to the drink, thus making you gain weight, much more so if you drink several cups a day. It is recommended to drink a cup of green tea a day with milk.
- Sugarfree. If you drink green tea with or without milk, it is best to do so without adding sugar or sweetener. This way you will no longer activate the proteins with the tea, reducing its benefits and increasing the calories.
With everything that we have just given you now, we hope that we have answered the question : can you add milk to green tea? However, we recommend consuming green tea in moderation because as it contains theine, it can cause certain effects, like any drink with this component.