Milk may cancel tea’s benefits

Drinking tea can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, but only if milk is not added to the brew, scientists have reported.

Research has shown that tea improves blood flow and the ability of the arteries to relax. But a study reported online Jan. 9 in the European Heart Journal, could explain why countries such as Britain, where tea is regularly consumed with milk, have not shown a decreased risk of heart disease and stroke from drinking tea.

The researchers compared the health effects of drinking boiled water and tea with and without milk on 16 healthy women. Using ultrasound, they measured the function of an artery in the forearm before and two hours after drinking tea.

Black tea significantly improved blood flow compared with drinking water, but adding milk blunted the effect of the tea.