Chai without milk is like soup without stock. It just doesn’t make sense. I like to add a splash of milk to regular brewed teas, too. Unfortunately some studies say that adding milk to black tea might reduce some of its healthy properties. The worry is that the antioxidant catechin binds with the milk protein casein, decreasing antioxidant absorption in the body.

Other studies show that milk does not have a big effect on the benefits of black tea. So who should we believe?

I asked herbalist Ricardo Da Costa, co-founder of Yogic Chai, for his take on the milk and tea debate:

The issue of adding milk to tea has been out there for quite a while now. One year the studies say “Adding milk reduces antioxidant components in tea,” next year the opposite, and it goes back and forth every year. I feel that an in depth placebo-controlled study has to take place using different forms of measuring levels of antioxidants in the blood (this seems to be the problem; different studies are using different measures and the results are not matching).

I always give more respect to ancient traditions than current scientific studies. The yogis in India have been taking Ayurvedic herbal concoctions for thousands of years. A lot of these concoctions are done with milk. I have a very hard time believing that milk prevents the absorption of herbal properties.

So until more studies have been done there is no definitive answer. I’m going to continue enjoying my milky tea until I see more evidence!

The people at The Tea Cup on Queen Anne in Seattle told me they are aware of the conflicting studies, but aren’t planning on banning milk from tea anytime soon. If you live in Seattle and feel like trying out some new teas I highly recommend a visit here!

The Tea Cup
2207 Queen Anne Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 283-5931