Tea drinkers still enjoy their cuppa after ditching sugar

TEA drinkers who like to take a lump of sugar are likely to find that the beverage goes down just as well without the sweetener, a University College London study has shown.

Health experts found that once sugar was cut out, people still enjoyed their tea, suggesting a long-term change in behaviour was possible.

Going cold turkey and cutting out sugar in one drastic step, or gradually reducing it over time, were both effective methods for cutting sugar consumption.

The team, from University College London and the University of Leeds, presented their findings, which have been peer-reviewed by conference officials, at the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow. In their study, they wrote: “Excess sugar intake is a public health problem and sugar in beverages contributes substantially to total intake.

“Reducing sugar intake from beverages may therefore help to reduce overall consumption.”

They analysed data for 64 men who habitually drank tea with sugar, who followed a new protocol for one month.

The group was split equally into men who gradually reduced the sugar in their tea over the four weeks, those who quit sugar in tea in one step, and a control group who continued drinking sweet tea.

The results showed that the sugar reduction groups were able to get rid of sugar without any effect on how much they enjoyed their tea.

Some 42 per cent of those in the gradual reduction group quit sugar in tea, as did 36 per cent of those who eliminated sugar in one step, and six per cent of those in the control group.

The researchers concluded: “Individuals can successfully reduce the amount of sugar consumed in tea using two different behavioural strategies.

“Reducing sugar in tea doesn’t affect liking, suggesting long-term behaviour change is possible.”