Taking tea with milk has nutritional benefits

THE article ‘Milk weakens tea’s health benefits’ (Irish Examiner, January 9) reported on a small German study that suggested milk in tea may inhibit the effectiveness of compounds in tea.

It is important readers do not limit milk in their tea based on the findings of one small study.

Several studies show the benefits that milk brings to a brew.

For instance, research conducted by Reddy et al (2005) looked into adding milk to black tea and how much biological activity remained. They found the antioxidant activity of tea was retained when milk was added, although it was lower than when the tea was black. The study also found there was still a significant increase in antioxidants in the blood of those who had tea with milk.

Drinking tea with milk enriches the nutritional composition of the drink. Milk contains a number of vitamins and minerals not normally found in tea.

Drinking four cups of tea a day with milk provides up to 21% of the recommended intake for calcium, 5% for zinc, 22% for vitamin B2, 5% for folic acid, vitamins B1 and B6 and 32% of vitamin B12.

Miranda Lomer

Consultant Dietitian in Gastroenterology

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

St Thomas’s Hospital

London SE1 7EH

England.