Bubble Tea Contains More Sugar Than Carbonated Drinks

Bubble Tea is one of the most popular drinks in Malaysia, it tastes great and it is perfect for our hot climate. Many people choose it as an alternative to carbonated drinks or soft drinks. So it may surprise many that Bubble Tea can contain as much as 5 teaspoons of sugar or more. There is a lot more sugar in Bubble tea than there is in a cup of coffee.

Consumers all over the world, especially in Malaysia love sugar treats. It is true that many food and drinks are meant to be taken sweet but having too much sugar in your diet has many downsides for you.

But it is not just Bubble Tea that has high sugar content. Even traditional favorites such as chrysanthemum tea, herbal tea, green tea and soya drink packs plenty of sugar in a can or pack. Read the label the next time you go shopping.

Depending on the brand, there can be up to 25g of sugar in a can of Soya drink. For Ice Lemon Tea, it can have up 15g of sugar.

FUN FACT 1: A teaspoon is 4.2 grams of sugar

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Recommended Daily Intake Of Sugar
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends only six to 10 percent of our daily calories should come from sugar. On an average 2,000 calorie diet, that comes to 120-200 calories and 30-50 grams per day. This includes the sugar in your drinks, snacks and food such as cupcakes and cereals, as well as sugar found naturally in fruits or honey.

There are natural sugar in fruits which adds to your daily intake. If you go for a smoothie or a bubble tea, that can add a lot more sugar in your diet than is recommended.

FUN FACT 2: 1g of sugar is 4 calories

How To Enjoy Your Bubble Tea

You should not drink Bubble Tea every day but you can still enjoy it as the occasional treat. If you go to an artisan Bubble Tea shop, order a smaller size, you can ask for less sugar, use milk instead of non-dairy creamers and skip the toppings. But I have yet to see a Bubble Tea shop in my area where you can ask for “kurang manis”.

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Bubble Tea comes with toppings, pearls, pudding, coconut jelly, grass jelly and aloe vera jelly that adds another dimension to your favorite drink. It even comes with cream cheese which is really nice. However, beware that any extra topping you add increases the calorie content in your drink to over 200 calories.

Bubble Tea is meant to be enjoyed and do so by all means, just don’t drink it every day. Treat yourself to the occasional drink and exercise more.

FUN FACT 3: You need to power walk for 30 to 45 mins to burn off 200 calories.

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Too Much Sugar Is Not So Great For You
By now, you should already know that too much sugar in your diet is not good for you. Sugar provides empty calories (which is calories without nutrition), and can lead to obesity, diabetics and disorders. This is such a concern that the Malaysian government introduced the “Sugar Tax” in July 2019.

  • Soft drinks, carbonated drinks , isotonic drinks, coffee in cans are now subject to a tax of 40sens per litre if the total sugar exceed 5g per 100ml.
  • Flavored milk are taxed if the total sugars exceed 7g per 100ml.
  • Fruit and vegetable juices or drinks are taxed if the total sugars exceeds 12g per 100ml.

Sources:
1) Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara – https://www.facebook.com/ThomsonHospitalKD/
2) https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2019/07/25/healthier-bubble-tea-this-pj-hospital-shares-useful-facebook-tips-for-enjoy/1774732

This article was originally published on www.herbalsabah.com.