Bubble tea is a drink that originated in Taiwan and actually became popular since the 90s. This drink contains tea to which you can add fruit flavours, syrup, milk, and black bubbles placed at the bottom of the glass.

Bubble or boba in this drink comes from tapioca pearls (a type of traditional food that resembles cendol). These bubbles are processed by boiling and mixing with brown sugar, so that they form blackish balls that are sweet, soft, and chewy when chewed.

Bubble tea is a sweet drink that contains a lot of sugar. This drink is often added with syrup, milk, tea flavours, and toppings, such as jelly and pudding, so that the sugar, fat, and calorie content in it tends to be high.

In addition, dried tapioca pearls which are the main component of this drink also have quite high calories, but lack vitamins, protein, and fiber. When mixed into bubble milk tea, 1 standard serving (about 475 ml) contains about 38 grams of sugar and 350-500 calories.

The total calories in 1 cup of bubble tea have exceeded the sugar intake limit recommended by the American Heart Association, which is 150 calories per day for adult men and 100 calories per day for adult women.

The Impact of Consuming Too Much Bubble Tea

Consuming bubble tea in excess or too often has various bad effects on health, including:

The syrups and other added sweeteners found in bubble tea are high in calories, not to mention the calories from the fat in milk. All of which can increase body weight, cholesterol levels, and triglycerides. If bubble tea is consumed too often, it is not impossible that obesity can occur.

Bubble tea drinks that contain lots of fat can cause a buildup of cholesterol in the blood if consumed too often. This condition can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

In addition, high sugar levels in bubble tea also play a role in increasing the risk of insulin resistance, which in turn can lead to type 2 diabetes.

The sugar contained in bubble tea can also interfere with the process of removing uric acid from the body, thereby increasing the risk of developing gout.

The bubbles in bubble tea come from tapioca pearls. These tapioca pearls sometimes contain an additive called guar gum. Guar gum helps tapioca pearls to stick together and expand when soaked in water.

If taken in too much, guar gum can cause digestive disorders, such as flatulence and abdominal pain or cramps. In very rare cases, guar gum is also said to clog the airways and digestive tract.

In addition, the improper bubble manufacturing process also has the potential to cause poisoning. Tapioca pearls are derived from cassava which is evaporated and processed in such a way to form flour which is ready to be formed into pearl balls. Cassava contains cyanide toxic substances if not processed properly.

Even so, there have been no reports stating that consuming bubble tea can cause cyanide poisoning.

In order not to have a negative impact on health, consumption of bubble tea should be limited. When buying bubble tea, choose the smallest glass size. In addition, ask the seller to reduce the amount of sugar, bubbles, and other toppings, such as jelly or pudding.

Bubble tea is a thirst quencher that might be your favorite. But once again to remind, the consumption of this drink must be limited because it can have a bad impact on health. To find out the limits for consuming bubble tea according to your health condition, don't hesitate to consult a doctor.