What Is Cheese Tea, and Is It Good for You?
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Aug 6, 2019
- 2 min read
What Is Cheese Tea, and Is It Good for You?
Cheese tea is a new tea trend that originated in Asia and is quickly gaining popularity worldwide.
It consists of green or black tea that’s topped with a sweet and salty cream cheese foam.
This article reviews what cheese tea is, how it’s made, and whether it’s healthy.
What is cheese tea?
Cheese tea consists of green or black tea that’s topped with a layer of salted cream-cheese foam. It’s growing in popularity across the world.
Benefits and downsides
Given that cheese tea is a relatively new way to enjoy tea, no studies have analyzed its health effects.
However, a great deal of research has been conducted on its main ingredients — tea, sugar, and dairy.
Below are some of the potential benefits and downsides of cheese tea.
Benefits
The main ingredient in cheese tea is tea.
In particular, green tea is full of antioxidants called catechins. These compounds help reverse damage caused by free radicals, which are potentially harmful molecules that can cause cellular damage when levels become too high in your body.
Furthermore, black tea is rich in antioxidants called black tea polymerized polyphenols (BTPPs), which may help reduce blood sugar, high blood pressure, inflammation, and your risk of cancer.
Cheese tea also contains full-fat dairy in the form of cream cheese and whipped cream.
Although saturated fat intake was once thought to cause heart disease, research has shown that there is not a strong link between the two.
In fact, full-fat dairy products like cream cheese have been linked to a reduced risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome, which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Nevertheless, while the antioxidants and full-fat dairy in cheese tea might provide some health benefits, many of them may be counteracted by its high sugar content.
Downsides
Cheese tea also has some drawbacks to consider.
Up to 75% of the world’s population may be lactose intolerant and need to avoid dairy products like cream cheese.
What’s more, cheese tea contains added sugar, although the amount varies significantly based on its ingredients and preparation method.
it’s also high in calories and sugar and may contain additives like food dyes.
Is it healthy?
When enjoyed in moderation, cheese tea can be part of a healthy diet. It’s made with health-promoting black or green tea and full-fat dairy, but it also contains sugar and maybe even refined additives.
How to make cheese tea
Cheese tea is very easy to make at home using your favorite brewed tea and preferred sweetener, along with cream cheese, whipped cream, and salt.
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