For most individuals, milk tea is a beverage drink in their daily lives. On the surface, it poses no apparent danger to digestive health, but frequent consumption may imply increasing risks of certain cancer-causing types in the future. Though milk tea does not have direct cancerous effects, some of the factors which may result from its consumption, such as lactose intolerance, high sugar, caffeine, and excessive additives, can indirectly contribute to digestive problems and cancer risk factors.
1. Lactose Intolerance and Digestive Problems
Lactose intolerance is a natural predisposition, beginning from the time one is about three to five years old, because of reduced lactase production by the human body. As 95 per cent of adults are supposed to lose the lactase enzyme, they have problems with the digestion of milk. To an individual with lactose intolerance, tea prepared from milk is a source of discomfort through digestive discomfort like bloating, diarrhoea, and gas. This chronic irritation in the digestive system can lead to the resultant conditions of GERD and peptic ulcers; both of these can increase the risk of stomach or oesophagal cancer. Given that milk tea does not cause cancer per se, chronic digestive distress from undigested lactose may increase the chance of cancer.
2. Sugar and Cancer Risk
Milk tea is high in sugar, one of the major problems with it, especially as it becomes consumed in very large volumes. Sugar is known to cause an imbalance within the gut microbiome, which promotes opportunistic, detrimental bacteria at the expense of good bacteria. This leads to chronic inflammation within the gut that may turn on its own immune cells and then become a carcinogenic risk to digestive cancers. This is besides exacerbating other risks like obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic problems, which all increase risks for cancers such as colorectal, liver, and breast cancers.
Additionally, gut sugar fermentation has been linked with potential byproducts like advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that have been shown to be related to cancer development. High consumption of milk tea sweetened with large amounts of sugar could indirectly increase digestive cancer risk through these metabolic alterations and their impact on the gut over time.
3. Caffeine's Impacts on the Gut
Most of the tea varieties, indeed do contain some amount of caffeine that will increase gut motility and aid digestion. However, an excessive amount of caffeine can stimulate the digestive system too much, potentially leading to acid overproduction, heartburn, and acid reflux. If left untreated, chronic acid reflux develops what is called Barrett's oesophagus, a condition that predisposes a patient to oesophagal cancer. Caffeine also sometimes leads to gastrointestinal discomfort and ulcers, an effect that, if left untreated, increases one's potential risk for stomach cancer over time.
Although caffeine itself is not carcinogenic, its impact on the digestive system, especially when taken in high quantities or with sugar and milk, may lead unknowingly to some digestive problems that may eventually prove to cause cancer in the long run.
4. Spices and Additives in Milk Tea
In milk tea, ginger, saffron, and cardamom are used not only for flavouring but also for health benefits. In small amounts, these spices can be good antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, but a greater amount of intake irritates the stomach lining, leading to chronic inflammation, resulting in gastrointestinal conditions such as ulcers and acid reflux over a long period of time and adds to the risk of digestive cancers.
5. Peptic Ulcers and Cancer
Drinking milk tea without consumption of food may raise the prospect of acid reflux which may lead to peptic ulcers. If left untreated, such ulcers may develop into a disease that may cause stomach cancer. Milk tea has no direct cause of cancer, but prolonged digestive irritation and also untreated ulcers can significantly increase one's risk of contracting the disease.
A Silent Risk?
No scientific evidence has been reported to date connecting milk tea with cancer, but over-consumption, most especially with high sugar, milk, and caffeine, might cause digestive stress and over time raise the risk of digestive cancers. Consumption at a minimal level is best recommended to reduce the potential risks, with a maximum amount of two cups a day, a small amount of sugar, and not when the stomach is empty. Portion size and ingredients should be mindful of to neutralise the long-term effect of the impact on your gut health and mitigate the indirect risk of cancer.
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