Sugar removes some benefits of tea.

A regular consumption of tea reduces the risk of death and cardiovascular and neoplastic diseases. However, the addition of sugar or sweetener to tea has a significant effect on the reduction. The positive effect was most pronounced when drinking 3.5-4.5 cups a day of tea with no sugar.

The risk of death due to all causes was decreased by 20%, cancer by 14%, and cardiovascular disease by 27%, compared to those who did not drink tea. The study used black tea and the authors emphasized that the addition of sugar or sweetener could eliminate some of the protective properties of tea. Therefore, it is advisable to drink tea without sweetening to achieve maximum effect.