Many people only drink tea with sugar. However, seasoned tea enthusiasts, who appreciate its rich and complex flavor profile, often criticize those with a sweet tooth and encourage enjoying tea in its pure form. We found that both sides have valid points. Here’s why, along with a breakdown of tea’s calorie content with and without various additives.
Reasons to Skip Sugar in Tea
1. Sugar Reduces Tea’s Health Benefits
The dangers of sugar have been well-documented: it promotes inflammation, speeds up aging, damages teeth, and negatively affects the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and liver. Dissolved sugar in tea has additional drawbacks.
Tea contains flavonoids to varying degrees, which protect cells from damage and help prevent diseases and aging. However, studies have shown that sugar, like milk and honey, can significantly reduce the activity of some antioxidants in tea, preventing you from reaping the full health benefits of the drink. The same study found that this effect does not occur with stevia.
2. Sugar Masks the Flavor
How much sugar is in unsweetened tea? None! The drink is naturally free of it, which is part of its appeal. Adding sugar "kills" the delicate flavors of premium teas like Chinese Longjing, Indian Darjeeling, Japanese Gyokuro, and others. These teas are crafted to be savored slowly, allowing their complex tastes to unfold. Sweetness, however, dulls the many nuanced flavors that fine teas can offer.
3. Sugar Adds Unnecessary Calories
Sugar has no nutritional value, yet a single sugar cube contains about ten calories. So, even if you follow a healthy diet but frequently drink sweet tea, you may find it harder to lose weight. On the other hand, cutting down on sugar in tea can immediately help you make progress.
In terms of calories, a cup of black tea without sugar has about three calories, while green tea has around two. However, when you add something to tea, the calorie count rises. For example, tea with milk contains about 20 kcal.
Five Sugar Substitutes for Sweet Tea Lovers
If you’d like to reduce sugar in your tea but still enjoy some sweetness, try these alternative sweeteners. They may be healthier, but keep in mind that they are also relatively high in calories.
Honey: Reduces oxidative stress, soothes a sore throat, and helps maintain a stable blood sugar level.
Maple Syrup: Aids digestion, stabilizes blood sugar levels, fights inflammation, and is low in sugar and calories.
Coconut Sugar: Has a glycemic index nearly half that of white sugar and contains iron, several B vitamins, vitamin C, and antioxidants.
Stevia: A plant-based sweetener that is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and virtually calorie-free.
Fruits and Berries: Not as sweet as sugar but much healthier. Pieces of apple, pear, or orange, or additions like cranberries, lingonberries, or blackcurrants, can bring variety to your tea.
Each of these alternatives can make your tea experience richer, healthier, and just as enjoyable without the need for refined sugar.