Is Milk Tea Bad for Health?

A fixed morning ritual for over a billion people—most of them in India—Tea has lots to commend it. But it’s the preparation that makes a difference. Read on to discover if your preferred morning cuppa is on the block.

Health drink

There are many studies that propound tea’s health-enhancing properties, including raising insulin insensitivity. However, that last benefit comes with a proviso: no milk!

But let’s start by looking at the benefits tea offers diabetics

Anti-diabetic properties

Some types of teas, viz. black tea, green tea, and oolong have a high concentration of polyphenols, which are believed to enhance insulin activity. Polyphenols are also known to be anti-oxidative—a capacity to defend against inflammation, which is a key trigger for insulin resistance, and carcinogens.

In addition to polyphenols, teas like black, green, and oolong also contain flavonoids—these are micronutrients that are known to be anti-inflammatory, protecting the body from oxidative damage that leads to diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cognitive problems like Alzheimer’s. The flavonoid in tea, theanine, has properties that help to control blood pressure and lower stress.

Health Benefits of Tea

Research over the years suggests that tea may have several important health enriching properties, in addition to improving insulin sensitivity, as follows:

• Maintaining healthy blood pressure
• Preventing blood clots
• Reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease
• Reducing risks of developing type 2 diabetes
• Reducing risks of developing cancer

What happens when you add milk?

All of the tea’s many health-improving properties are negated when you add one simple ingredient: Milk!

There are three big risk factors that make milk a no-no for diabetics.

1: Carbohydrates (Lactose) Content

Milk has a high amount of carbs, about 12 to 15 grams per 250 ml bottle. Carbohydrates, as every diabetic is aware, are not good for diabetics as they cause an adverse spike in blood sugar levels. (BSL).

Worse, carbs in milk come in the form of lactose, which causes digestive problems, known as lactose intolerance, in almost 70% of the human population.

2: Fat

Milk is very high in fat, and processed dairy products like cheese have an even higher percentage of fat. Most of this is in the form of unsaturated fats, which are a cause of high blood cholesterol and heart disease.

Obesity is a growing problem across the world, especially when the fat collects around your middle. This visceral fat compromises the functioning of internal organs like the pancreas, affecting the production of insulin, which ultimately causes diabetes.

3: IGF

The third risk factor, and one of the most deadly, is a compound it contains, which is known as Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF). IGF molecules get their name from their behavior, which mimics insulin, although it doesn’t do the job that insulin does.

In fact, IGF molecules prevent insulin from allowing glucose from the blood to enter cells, effectively causing glucose levels to rise in the blood. Stopping milk immediately has been proven to be very effective in lowering blood sugar levels. Which is why Freedom from Diabetes firmly advocates eliminating dairy milk and milk products from your diet.

The results speak for themselves. And you can experience it too. Just ban milk and milk products from your table for about four weeks. And you’ll be amazed at the change in your blood sugar levels. In addition to dropping your blood sugar, you’ll also lose weight, improve your digestion, and feel much more energetic.

Milk Substitutes

If you find it really tough to go without your milky tea, there are plant-based substitutes that you can try.

• Almond milk
• Rice milk
• Soy milk
• Coconut milk

Give it a go, you have nothing to lose but your insulin resistance.

For more information about diabetes and tips to manage and reverse it, visit our blog page on www.freedomfromdiabetes.org or browse through the videos and articles on our Facebook/Instagram and YouTube channels