The popularity of milk tea has soared undeniably. The obsession has invaded the hearts of Filipinos most especially, the Millennial and Z generations. And why is that? Is it only to be in with the milk tea trend and nothing else? If not, is it maybe because we’ve grown so health conscious and therefore took advantage of various nutritional benefits offered by the revolutionary drink? If it were neither, what other reason would it be?

If you are holding a cup of milk tea right now, make a pause as we spill the T, the “thing” you need to know about milk tea.

Drinking tea has been thought to provide various health benefits. Adding milk to this beverage not only makes it more flavorful but given that milk also contain health-promoting compounds and nutrients, combining tea with it will give you several benefits. Below are the possible benefits you can get in drinking milk tea:

It offers loads of antioxidants

Teas have potent antioxidants called catechins and epicatechins, which are powerful enough to neutralize excess free radicals before they wreak havoc in your cells and tissues. Thus, lowering one’s risk of having cardiovascular diseases and cancers.

It helps reduce stress

Milk tea possesses a stress-lowering property. Drinking tea is associated with positive mood and feelings of mental and physical relaxations because of the chemical L-theanine, which is found both in green and black tea. Milk tea has caffeine too, which refreshes the body, but only if in minute amounts.

It slows down the aging process

If you happen to be a beauty conscious, you’d be delighted to know that the antioxidants present in the tea could slow down the aging process of your skin. Milk also contains proteins necessary for keeping the skin healthy and beautiful.

It serves as a good source of energy

Milk added to the drink is a good source of energy as it contains carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. In addition, commercial milk teas are mostly sugar-added. Thus, a good beverage to gulp when in need of energy rush.

Yes, milk tea can be considered a better alternative or even replacement to your carbonated drinks. Even so, combining these two health promoting beverages has its downsides, too. Here are the reasons why:

It promotes weight gain

Tea alone is very low in calories. Tea has natural components called polyphenols, which prevents the body from absorbing fats, and catechins, which promotes the burning of fats. However, when added with milk, the protein in it which is called casein, neutralizes the tea’s fat-fighting ability by preventing thearubigins and theaflavins (tea’s compounds which contributes to weight loss) not to be absorbed by the body. In addition, the boba pearls in your milk tea makes it a carbohydrate powerhouse. Boba pearls are made from tapioca, which is mostly carbs and very little protein, fat, and fiber, which makes it more quickly digested and absorbed by the body. Any excess carbohydrates are stored in the body as body fats thereby adding to your weight.

It increases risk of anemia

Tea, with or without added milk, keeps your body from absorbing iron from your food. Iron is a mineral necessary for the production of red blood cells (RBCs) and the absence of adequate RBCs paves the way for anemia. Tannin, which is a compound of tea and the calcium that is from the milk inhibit iron absorption.

It may lead to Type 2 Diabetes

You are already aware that your milk tea is a ball of carbohydrates with its loads of sugars, creams, syrups, and pearls. When the body metabolizes carbohydrates, they break down into sugars. Surplus of sugar in your body puts you at a higher risk of acquiring Type 2 Diabetes.

It decreases protective effect from cardiovascular diseases

While tea protects your cardiovascular system, adding milk to it completely wipes out its protective effect. Casein in milk interacts with the tea to decrease the concentration of catechins, the flavonoids in tea that mainly contribute to its protection against cardiovascular disease.

These are just some advantages and drawbacks you could get from consuming milk tea. So if you are thinking of welcoming milk tea in your daily regimen, think again. Nevertheless, milk tea isn’t all that bad IF you order it right. Aside from reducing your weekly consumption to just one or two servings, here are some modifications you can consider:

• Get a smaller cup.
• Choose milk tea shops that let you choose the level of sweetness, preferably 30% sugar or lower.
• Request to have a non-fat or skimmed milk added to your tea instead of non-dairy creamer. You could also use soya milk since it contains lecithin that has a different molecular structure to casein, and so is unlikely to bind to catechin the way casein does.
• Pick lower calorie sinkers, instead of boba pearls use white pearls since they are less sweet.

Occasional milk tea indulgence is okay. Better make it as a treat for yourself whenever you accomplish something big rather than making it as an everyday drink. There’s always a time to sip it or to skip it. (CMU BSND OJT Gemma Pearl I. Gallasa and PNC Stephanie C. Barrio)

References:

Ali Rashidinejad, E. John Birch, David W. Everett. (2016). The behaviour of green tea catechins in a full-fat milk system under conditions mimicking the cheesemaking process. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition 67:6, pages 624-631.

European Society of Cardiology. (2007, January 9). Milk Eliminates Cardiovascular Health Benefits Of Tea, Researchers Warn. ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070108191523.htm

Innovative Homecare Solutions, Inc. (n.d.). 10 Health Benefits of Milk Tea 2020 | Combination of Two Amazing Drinks. https://www.innovativehomecare.com/10-health-benefits-of-milk-tea

Min J., Green, D. B. and Kim, L. (2016 Mar 29). Calories and sugars in boba milk tea: implications for obesity risk in Asian Pacific Islanders. Food Science & Nutrition. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5217910/

Mount Alvernia Hospital (2019 July 5). What’s in my Bubble Tea? https://mtalvernia.sg/education/whats-in-my-bubble-tea/

Sablad, J. (2019 June 16). Milk + tea fusion: a health concern. SunStar Cagayan de Oro. https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1814525/Cagayan-De-Oro/Feature/Milk-%20-tea-fusion-a-health-concern

Weil, A. (2019 March 28). Is Boba Tea Bad? https://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/food-safety/is-boba-tea-bad/