Does Milk Impact Matcha Green Tea Nutrient Absorption?

Words: Elara Hadjipateras
Published: December 12, 2024
Reading: 8 minutes

There are so many different ways to experience the antioxidant and nutritional values of matcha. A lot of matcha recipes - both food and drinks - contain milk or dairy alternatives.

That got us thinking… Does the milk you mix your matcha with have an effect on the way your body absorbs the vitamins, antioxidants and nutrients in matcha?

What should I mix matcha powder with?

You can mix all sorts of different liquids to create delicious and healthy matcha drinks. The possibilities are endless, but different types of milks, juices and water are the most common combinations for creating matcha drinks. Beyond hydration, mixing your matcha with only water won’t bring any added nutritional benefits to the matcha. Mixing your matcha with different fruit juices can bring you an added dose of vitamins like Vitamins A, C and B from the juice itself.

But how about mixing your matcha with milk? And what about mixing matcha with dairy alternatives like almond, soy and coconut milk?

Check out some yummy matcha recipes and additional articles like the benefits of adding matcha to green juice, matcha lemonade & how to debloat your stomach with matcha and pineapple

What health benefits does matcha have?

The first step to answering if milk impacts the absorption of nutrients in matcha is knowing what those nutrients are!

Matcha contains a high concentration of catechins. Catechins are what give matcha its antioxidant properties and catechins act like a cleanup crew inside of your body. They scavenge for reactive oxygen species that cause oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can cause a range of diseases including, but not limited to, cancer, alzheimer’s, parkinson’s, IBS, diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma. Catechins also inhibit the formation of free radicals in your body. Free radicals cause damage to your body’s healthy cells and cause premature aging and chronic diseases.

What are the health benefits of matcha green tea?

We love catechins and matcha is chock-full of them!

Another key ingredient that matcha contains is L-theanine. L-theanine is known for altering the effects of caffeine to promote alertness and help minimize the negative “crash” like side effects you’d expect from a cup of coffee.

Matcha also contains a ton of vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C, Zinc, B-Complex vitamins and more. To read about all of the vitamins and minerals in matcha check out our Vitamins in Matcha article.

Milk and matcha

Now that we know more about the health benefits of matcha we can look at mixing matcha and milk.

Is milk healthy to drink?

Let’s get scientific about matcha green tea powder and milk

Dairy has its own nutrition story. Milk brings protein, calcium and, when fortified, vitamin D, and researchers have studied dairy for its links to body weight, metabolic health and bone density.

In a study performed by the Unilever Research Vlaardingen in The Netherlands participants were given a randomized selection of green tea, black tea, green tea mixed with 2% milk and black tea mixed with 2% milk. Blood samples were taken from the participants before and after tea consumption.

The results showed that green tea has significantly more catechins than black tea, the human body rapidly absorbs those catechins after drinking both types of tea and that the tea mixed with milk had no effect on the amount or speed at which those catechins were absorbed.

Matcha lattes made with milk can also be a great way to take with your morning vitamins. Vitamin D, along with vitamin A, E, and K are considered fat soluble vitamins, meaning they need fat in order to be properly absorbed. The caveat is that you don't want to drink matcha at the same time you take any supplements containing iron, as matcha may limit iron absorption. Learn more about matcha's impact on iron absorption here.

Good news: in this study, milk did not affect how well catechins from tea were absorbed.

Looking for some yummy matcha recipes that contain milk? Check out How to Make a Matcha Latte and Hot Chocolate Matcha Latte Recipe

Does casein in milk bind to matcha’s antioxidants?

Not every study agrees with the Unilever result, so it’s worth knowing the other side. Casein, the main protein in cow’s milk, can bind to tea polyphenols like catechins. In one lab study, adding milk lowered tea’s antioxidant activity by about 11–27%. Most of that drop came from the smaller catechins, EGC and EC. EGCG, the main catechin in matcha, is a larger molecule and was affected the least. Other studies have found no change at all, and at least one found milk raised antioxidant activity.

A 2007 study also found that adding milk to tea blunted tea’s effect on how well blood vessels relax, which suggests milk proteins may matter for some of tea’s effects even when catechin levels in the blood look the same.

So what should you do? If you want the most from matcha’s antioxidants, drink it plain with water that is hot but not boiling. If a creamy latte is what keeps you making matcha every day, enjoy it. Consistency over weeks and months matters more than any single cup, and many people simply enjoy a plain bowl some days and a matcha latte on others.

Dairy milk alternatives and matcha green tea powder

While consuming dairy with your matcha is scientifically proven to have benefits, not everyone can comfortably drink cow’s milk. For those of us that are lactose intolerant or even lactose intolerant-ish, using a dairy alternative like soy, coconut or almond milk in our matcha can drastically improve the way we feel.

Do milk alternatives affect the way your body absorbs the vitamins, antioxidants and nutrients in matcha?

Unfortunately, not enough studies have been done on this topic to have conclusive evidence. Milk alternatives have their own pros and cons compared to cow’s milk. Not everyone can consume traditional dairy products - if you have to use a milk alternative, it’s important to weigh the upsides and downsides of which one you choose.

What are the pros and cons of milk alternatives?

If you’re someone who is lactose intolerant, we can’t say with certainty if milk alternatives like almond, coconut and soy milk have an impact on the way your body absorbs the vitamins, minerals and catechins in matcha. If you haven’t already, consider trying products like lactase pills that help your body digest lactose or lactaid milk products that are lactose free but contain all the amazing nutrients in regular milk.

Love milk alternatives? Try our Vegan Matcha Latte Recipe

The bottom line

Drinking matcha with milk is a healthy and delicious way to get your daily dose of the impressive list of vitamins and minerals that matcha contains and the main human study found that cow’s milk did not change how your body absorbs matcha’s catechins. For the most antioxidant activity, enjoy it plain now and then. If you have to use a milk alternative, pay attention to the pros and cons of each one when choosing what to mix your matcha with.

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