2023-10-20 16:23:00
Difficult to miss the phenomenon bubble tea ! On the rise in recent years, bubble tea has gradually made a name for itself to the point of becoming THE trendy drink of summer 2023! And today, we find them in almost every city in France! But there’s a catch: bubble tea might well be less innocent than it seems…
What is bubble tea?
The bubble tea – also called pearl milk tea, boba, bubble tea or zenzou – is a drink originating from Taiwan. The original recipe combines classic tea, milk, and tapioca pearls coated in brown sugar (and ice cubes in the cold version of the drink). And the craze is such that the drink has become quite different and diversified. We now find pearls made of a thin film containing syrup, recipes for bubble tea with cream, pieces of Oreo or cookies, recipes where a milkshake replaces milk tea… and even versions where there is no more tea or tapioca pearls! Despite the variations, the drink continues to arouse enthusiasm, the variations, in particular seduce the youngest with their sweet taste and their kawaii aesthetic…
The biggest drawback of bubble tea: its sugar content
Milk tea too sweet? Indeed, although the presence of the word ‘tea’ suggests a side healthy, the drink is actually a concentrate of sugar! A 50 cl glass of bubble tea might contain up to 92 g of sugar1, suggests a study carried out by the University of Singapore! That’s regarding three times more than a 32 cl can of Coca-Cola. So much so that some specialists point out a risk of addiction… It is therefore important to stick to occasional consumption of bubble tea, otherwise you risk damaging your health and, also, gaining weight.
Good to know: there are no official recommendations regarding the consumption of bubble tea-type drinks.
Are tapioca pearls dangerous for your health?
From the outset, all people who have tasted this (delicious) beverage will have observed that it presents a choking hazard, especially among younger people. Because bubble tea is first of all rubbery pearls that you swallow by sucking them very hard using a straw… and which can accidentally enter the lungs. Not great.
Another problem? If you don’t inadvertently suck them up at the risk of choking, tapioca pearls are no less dangerous! In China – always! – a young girl who complained regarding stomach aches and of constipation discovered that the culprits were the hundreds of tapioca balls which she had swallowed without chewing and which then blocked her digestive system2.
The worst ? Its sugar content is not the only harm attributable to bubble tea! A young Chinese man had the bitter experience when he found himself unable to move his hands and feet following drinking too much bubble tea.3. In question ? Overconsumption of bubble tea would have caused it to infiltrate the bloodstream, in the form of crystals, leading to an abnormally high level of uric acid and a form ofarthritis blocking joints – or gout attack -…
In Germany, studies have even looked at the existence of a potential link between bubble tea and cancers. In 2012, by analyzing samples of tapioca balls, German researchers found traces of chemicals (styrene, acetophenone, brominated substances, etc.) having a proven link with the development of cancers and other harmful effects on health, the immune system, the reproductive system, the nervous system and the endocrine system. But the German research was notably contested by Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration which questioned the authenticity of the test results…
Is bubble tea bad for mental health?
Researchers have established a link between excessive consumption of this drink and mental health problems4. “We found that a higher level of dependence on milk tea was significantly associated with a higher risk of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation,” the researchers demonstrated. Another reason to curb your bubble tea consumption.
1. Sweeter than soda ? The hidden sugars in bubble tea, Jalelah Abu Baker.
2. According to article relayed by the Asia One information site.
3. As reported by his doctor, Dr. Zheng Shaoling, on the Chinese news site 7news.com.
4. New form of addiction: An emerging hazardous addiction problem of milk tea among youths, Diyang Qu, Xuan Zhang, Juan Wang, Bowen Liu, Xue Wen, Yi Feng, Runsen Chen.
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