Effect of Adding Cow’s Milk, Soy Milk, Rice Milk and Almond Milk on Antioxidant Capacity in English Breakfast Tea

Tea is one of the popular beverages worldwide, with various health benefits,that have been studied. There is increasing popularity of drinking tea in Thailand and some people prefer drinking milk tea. However, many studies suggest that polyphenols in tea that contribute to the antioxidant capacity of tea may interact with milk protein and may alter the antioxidant capacity of tea. This study aims to evaluate the effect of adding the various types of milk including cow's milk, soy milk, rice milk, and almond milk on antioxidant capacity in English breakfast tea by comparing total polyphenol content and 2,2-diphenyl1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) antioxidant capacities of 200 mL tea infusion with and without the addition of 50 mL of each milk. We hypothesize that adding milk will decrease the total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of English Breakfast tea. The result showsthat the total polyphenol content and DPPH antioxidant capacities of English breakfast tea infusion with the addition of each type of milk do not change significantly compared totea infusion without the addition of each milk. Soy milk, rice milk, and almond milk can be used as an alternative to cow's milk in adding to tea infusion without disturbing antioxidant capacity of tea.