any evidence/biochem thoughts on this?

does sugar bind tannins/polyphenols/bioflavonoids etc rendering them
useless, not absorbable?

how about milk? i suppose either the protein or the fat could bind the
tannins... i dont know what the final effect on the tannins would be...

"SN" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> any evidence/biochem thoughts on this?
>
> does sugar bind tannins/polyphenols/bioflavonoids etc rendering them
> useless, not absorbable?
>
> how about milk? i suppose either the protein or the fat could bind the
> tannins... i dont know what the final effect on the tannins would be...
>

There was a recent (in the last few months) bit of news about this, here's
one link to an article.

http://www.ndri.com/news/dont_add_mi... efit-177.html


No comment about India though, where they also add milk to their tea.

Melinda

SN > wrote:
>any evidence/biochem thoughts on this?
>
>does sugar bind tannins/polyphenols/bioflavonoids etc rendering them
>useless, not absorbable?

I believe the whole point of using lemon in tea is to destroy tannins.
I don't think sugar does anything other than to mask the taste. Milk
I don't know... it certainly reduces the tannic effect dramatically but
I am not sure if it is masking it or reacting with it.

>how about milk? i suppose either the protein or the fat could bind the
>tannins... i dont know what the final effect on the tannins would be...

Why do you want tea that is all nasty and tannic?
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

The link below contains two studies about drinking green tea with milk
with some helpful tips.

A 2006 German study found that adding milk to black tea destroys its
ability to protect against heart disease. Another 1984 study found
that drinking tea with milk or sugar is helpful to those prone to
stomach upset.

Green Tea and Milk
http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/gre...with-milk.html

Green tea with lemon is also helpful to the stomach.

I like green tea with ginger and muscovite sugar ... yummy! O, try use
a low grade green tea for this, high grade should really be enjoy on
its own.

Julian
http://www.amazing-green-tea.com

juliantai > wrote:
>The link below contains two studies about drinking green tea with milk
>with some helpful tips.

Do any of them point out that adding milk to green tea makes it taste
really, really nasty?

I mean, I can understand why someone might want to do that to a tannic
black tea... but greens?
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

"Does sugar or milk bind tannins rendering them useless?"

I was just at a conference where we had a question & answer session
with doctors from the Tea Research Institute in Sri Lanka. These
questions were of course raised as in the past year it has been in the
press a bit.

The research they had conducted indeed shows that using milk in your
tea... whether black green or whatever (though why you'd use milk in
green tea I don't know!?)... does indeed reduce the antioxident health
benefits of tea, ie Polyphenols, catechins, theaflavins and
thearubugins...

The question of affected Iron intake came up also: drinking tea
reduces the intake of irons while consumed during meals high in iron
(i.e. red meats) which can be an issue for pregnant woman... BUT...
they also explained that drinking tea with a slice of lemon in turn
counteracts that effect letting iron absorb correctly due to it's
ascorbic acid, and milk having the same neautralizing effect (though
on the other health benefits also I presume).

....by the way Tannins in tea it is still quite misunderstood... read
this quote and more info at the following page http://www.dilmahtea.com/web/faq.asp
(very detailed faq on tea) " Tannins or tannic acid are not present in
tea. Tea polyphenols were formerly referred to as tannins or tannic
acids due to the similarities in the chemical structure. This has left
many misguided notions about the effect of tea upon the human
digestive system "

but do you know what the doctors at the end of the session said that
was quite cool? at the end of the day don't be too concerned with the
health benefits of tea, don't get hung up on it all... just enjoy your
tea!

right on! there's always some new finding or research to credit or
discredit tea ... regardless I'll keep drinking it like there's no
tomorrow )

Jon