Does adding milk to tea reduce its anti-cancer benefit?
Good question! There are multiple research studies that have tried to evaluate this question, primarily looking at either the blood levels of a group of compounds called polyphenols (like the main component of green tea called ECGC) or antioxidant measurements after tea consumption. Most of the studies have shown reduced levels of these measurements when milk is added to the tea, but the results are not entirely consistent. In general though, the majority of available studies do show that milk (any type, even soy milk) added to tea, plus consuming tea during a whole meal, does reduce the levels of these potentially beneficial compounds. In summary, I suggest not adding milk to tea and also drinking tea between meals to maximize the absorption of the polyphenols with their potential anti-cancer activity.
