Bubble Tea: How Bad Can The Tea Be?

Tea has been hailed as the epitome of healthy drink. Since time immemorial, tea has been part of the East Asian culture before being popularized by the western civilization. Tea is a rich source of antioxidants called polyphenols which have good anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effect.¹

So why should we be worried about Bubble Tea?

Don’t be fooled. Bubble tea, also known as pearl milk tea or boba, is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. While bubble tea brings the benefits of a tea, the additives in each cup of bubble tea can be detrimental to your health. These are the additives in your bubble tea that you should be concerned:¹

1. Flavored syrups

2. Tapioca pearls

3. Non-dairy creamer

Ever wondered what exactly is in each of these pearls? Pearls are made from tapioca, an extract from cassava roots. Tapioca is packed with carbohydrates and is low in vitamins, minerals and proteins.²

The table below shows the estimated nutritional content of the pearls:³

To put that into perspective, a quarter cup of pearls carries more than 100 calories which is equivalent to more than half a bowl of rice!²

That is not all. Toppings such as cheese or milk foam will further boost the calories by another 200.^4,5

The sugar content in bubble teas should also alarm you other than the carbohydrate-packed pearls. The table below shows the estimated sugar level for each variety of bubble tea:⁴

Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, our Minister of Health, has also expressed his concern on the sky-high sugar level of bubble tea.⁶

“Bubble tea has become a popular drink and contains excessive sugar content of about 20 teaspoonful (100g) for 500ml, while the ideal amount is eight teaspoons (40g) for daily intake. This is well in excess.” – Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Minister of Health Malaysia

Here are the recommendations from Singapore’s Mount Alvernia Hospital to make your bubble tea experience a less guilty one:⁴

1. Choose a smaller cup

2. Avoid toppings or go for low calorie toppings

3. Limit yourself to 1 to 2 bubble teas per week

4. Choose plain teas such as green tea, oolong tea or black tea

5. Reduce the sugar level. Ask for less sugar.

Do think of the calories and sugars you are consuming the next time you are thinking of grabbing yourself a cup of bubble tea. An advice to all Malaysians out there: Minuman ini ‘Boba’haya untuk kesihatan anda!