Do Chinese drink tea with sugar?
Most people can put sugar in their tea, and adding sugar in moderation can improve the taste. However, for some people with high blood sugar or who are obese, they should not put sugar in their tea, as this can affect blood sugar levels. Therefore, whether or not you can put sugar in your tea depends on the physical condition of the person drinking it.
1. Yes: Tea has a slightly bitter taste, so for people who are healthy and like sweet foods, they can add some sugar to their tea to taste. Tea mainly contains minerals, amino acids, polyphenols and other ingredients, and sugar does not produce a conflicting reaction to generate harmful substances. It is not harmful to health, and can also increase sugar intake to provide the body with the energy it needs. Drinking tea with sugar can also moisten the throat. For people with dry and bitter mouths, it can increase the body’s water content, quench thirst, and enhance water metabolism and promote gastrointestinal motility.
2. Do not: If you are obese or have a history of high blood sugar or diabetes, you generally need to control the intake of sugar in your body. Adding sugar to tea during the drinking process may cause excessive sugar intake in the body, which will lead to an increase in blood sugar concentration and affect blood sugar control. To better maintain your health, it is recommended to avoid adding sugar during tea drinking.
Is drinking sweetened tea for a long time harmful to the body?
Adding sugar to tea and drinking the two together generally does not produce toxic substances and will not adversely affect your health. However, if you drink a lot of tea with sugar for a long time, it may increase your sugar intake, increasing the risk of obesity, tooth decay, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, etc.
Tea is generally bitter and cold in nature, and its main ingredients include plant alkaloids, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. White sugar is a substance rich in hydroxyl groups, which can form hydrogen bonds with the components of the tea broth, reducing the fusion of the components of the tea broth, increasing the water solubility of the ions in the tea broth, and relieving the astringent taste of the tea. It also increases energy and provides nutrients. Usually, tea has a fragrant aroma and a light taste. Adding white sugar affects the aroma, taste and colour of the tea, and for some tea connoisseurs, it has little value as a beverage. However, adding white sugar generally does not destroy the nutritional components of the tea and is generally not harmful to human health.
In addition, white sugar is a pure heat substance that contains high calories but lacks vitamins, minerals and protein, i.e. it contains no nutrients other than energy. In addition to causing weight gain, excessive intake of white sugar can also lead to an increased risk of metabolic diseases, increasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension. It has not been proven that a small amount of white sugar intake will cause significant health hazards, but care should be taken to control white sugar intake.