Tea is one of the favorite drinks in the world. Drink of Chinese origin and popularized by Great Britain. Adding milk to tea is a British custom that emerged in the 18th century and the reason has nothing to do with the taste.
Tea is a drink that comes from Camellia sinensis leaves; black tea is the most popular, followed by green, oolong and white tea.
In China tea has been consumed for thousands of years, recordings from the 3rd century AD describe it as a medicinal drink. Traders helped this drink spread to other continents. Tea began to be imported to Great Britain in the 17th century and afternoon tea became popular in the 19th century.
According to the UK Tea and Infusions Association, tea was initially a fashionable drink at court, then among the wealthy classes and became affordable for the rest of the British in the 18th century.
Why did the British add milk to coffee
Most people couldn’t afford fine china and disposable cups were cracking from the heat of boiling tea . So it was decided to first add milk to the porcelain cup and then add the tea. Milk also helped remove the bitter taste from cheap teas, making the drink smooth and pleasant.
Experts recommend about five percent milk in the cup of tea.
Milk can reduce antioxidants in tea
Tea is a source of caffeine and polyphenols. The polyphenols or flavonoids in tea act as antioxidants, they are probably a key component of what makes tea a healthy beverage.
The Harvard School of Public Health notes that some research suggests that protein and possibly The fat in milk can reduce the antioxidant capacity of the tea. This is because flavonoids are “deactivated” when they bind to proteins.
Skimmed milk reduces the antioxidant capacity of tea more significantly compared to milks that have a high fat content. Tea with milk is still a healthy drink.
The consumption of tea should not be exceeded. Dietary guidelines suggest consuming up to 400 mg of caffeine per day. According to the Mayo Clinic, black tea has 47 mg of caffeine and green tea has 28 mg of caffeine.
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