Adding milk may reduce health benefits of tea

I've said it enough times on this blog, just as so many other people have spoken highly about the health benefits of drinking tea. The stuff is good for you, bottom line. But, it turns out that adding milk to your tea can make it less healthy than if you were to drink it as is.

German scientists found that people who drank their tea without adding milk showed signs of improved blood-vessel function, a well-known cardiovascular benefit of drinking tea. However, people who added milk to their tea did not show any signs of improvement with regard to their blood-vessel function.

The study's author suggests that the proteins in milk may bind to the heart-healthy compounds in tea known as catechins. From there, the binding may lessen the teas beneficial effects. If tea without milk isn't your...um...cup of tea, then maybe you can try a flavored or spiced tea in place of the added flavor you're used to getting from the milk.