Could Adding Milk to Your Tea Help Prevent Staining?
Britain is a nation of tea-drinkers, but drinking tea can stain your teeth. If you’re partial to a cuppa but value your pearly whites, researchers might have some good news. A new study suggests that adding milk to your tea could help to prevent staining, meaning you can enjoy your morning brew without any worries about the aesthetic impact.
The study, which has been published in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene, suggests that adding milk to tea reduces its ability to stain your teeth. Lead author Dr Ava Chow from the school of dentistry at Alberta University explained that the way tea is processed can lead to staining, but research has revealed that milk can help to reduce its power to discolour teeth.
During the trial, Dr Chow and her research team analysed the effects of leaving extracted human teeth in a solution of tea and a solution of tea with added milk. The shades were recorded beforehand and the teeth were left for a period of 24 hours at 37 degrees. The shade was then re-tested. During the research period, the team found that casein, a protein found in milk, binds to the tannins in tea. This prevents them from staining the teeth.
Dr Chow said that the results were comparable to using bleaching products, but highlighted the need for cultural variations when recommending adding milk to tea. In some cultures, tea is always taken with milk, but in others it will often be refused.
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