Tea Without Milk Please

Tea has been hailed as a healthy drink throughout the ages, the ancient Chinese recognised its properties without the benefit of modern day scientific studies. A German study a few years back in 2007 found that the proteins in milk interfere with the function of catechins in the tea. The catechins are believed to be the chemical responsible for helping to reduce heart disease. So they recommend that tea be drunk without milk.

For most of us (Brits) that is unthinkable, we are so used to adding milk to our tea. It just isn't going to happen, or at least not when we drink the mass produced supermarket or health food store tea bag tea.Frankly, there isn't much 'goodness' in that anyway. The leaves have been ground up into a powder. It is as far removed from tea as instant coffee is from proper coffee! 

As most Y10 pupils could tell you from their science lessons, anything ground up into smaller bits will react faster. So what do the chemicals in tea react with? Basically, oxygen from the air. Loose leaf tea therfore oxidises more slowly as it is not ground up at all. So logically, it contains much more of the useful antioxidant chemicals. And more flavour!

Drinking speciality loose leaf teas is therefore a very different proposition. These are traditionally taken 'black' i.e. without milk. You get more flavour, indeed a more delicate taste altogether; a taste that adding milk would simply mask.

So by all means drink tea as usual but if you really want to benefit - lash the cash and invest in some gourmet quality teas. You wont be disappointed and you might just be doing yourself some good too!