Bubble Tea contains more sugar than cola

Trend drink Bubble Tea contains almost three times as much sugar as cola

06/28/2012

Up to 30 pieces of sugar cubes are contained in a large cup of bubble tea, as recently Stiftung Warentest explained. Thus, the new trend drink surpasses even the unhealthy coke. Nevertheless, Bubble Tea enjoys growing popularity among teenagers and children. After fast-food giant McDonald's entered the tea business, there is nothing to stop the spread of bubble tea. Nutrition experts, however, were at regular consumption before the health hazards.

Bubble Tea becomes the trend drink of the summer
McDonald's sells the calorie bomb in the 850 German branches of his McCafés. Thus, the trend drink has long since reached the province. Bubble Tea consists of a mixture of tea, milk and fruit syrup as well as the characteristic colorful jelly balls of manioc starch. It is they who make the kick of the drink. The teenagers suck them in through a big straw. Some varieties burst in the mouth. „Teenagers think that's just cool“ explains the Taiwanese Chitai, who sells the trendy drink from his home in Berlin. „This is lived youth culture here. Everyone wants to belong there.“ While the youth can hardly escape the colorful drink, older people seldom end up in Chitai's shop. „The come at the most in the company of their children or grandchildren.“

Many adults feel deterred by the already unhealthy-looking, brightly colored drink. In addition to a lot of sugar Bubble Tea also contains color and artificial flavorings, acidulants and preservatives. Doctors, consumer advocates and health insurances regularly warn against consumption since the market launch. Infants may also choke on the bullets or get pneumonia if the jelly balls accidentally get into the lungs when swallowed through the trachea, so the doctors. The professional association of pediatricians in Germany therefore calls for appropriate warnings on the cups of the manufacturer.

The new favorite drink of many young people is also very high in calories. Consumer advocates have determined 300 to 500 calories for a cup of 300 milliliter Bubble Tea. That's up to three times as much cola. In the investigation of Stiftung Warentest it turned out that up to 30 pieces of sugar are contained in a large cup. Nutrition experts warn against frequent consumption. This increases the risk of overweight and obesity. This can lead to diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

Teenagers break away from parents with bubble tea
The new trend drink of the young people is in complete contrast to the "eco and health lifestyle of many parents". Maybe it's just this circumstance that makes the drink so popular. Yet: „Bubble Tea is a calorie bomb including synthetic colors and flavors“, say the testers. They investigated four varieties of Bubo Tea of ​​the brands "BoboQ" and "Boobuk" which may be related to hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder (ADHD) in children.

Even trend researcher Peter Wippermann sees the success of the drink among the young people in the demarcation of the parents. „The emphasized playfulness and childlikeness are self-indulgence for the adolescents. They finally have a place where no adult can look.“ That's the mystical power of Bubble Tea. Other market researchers see in the bubble drink only a temporary appearance. "Now Bubble Tea is still new and therefore very popular," says Jochen Stade. However, in a few years time this could "look completely different", the expert points out.

Now that McDonald's has entered the tea business and tries to establish the drink in adults, sees Wippermann critical: „Bringing bubble tea into adult culture is a time bomb.“ If the drink is also consumed by the masses, the decisive selling point for adolescents - the demarcation to the parents - could be eliminated. Wippermann is sure: „Bubble Tea will be the summer drink 2012 in Germany.“ According to company spokesman Nicolas von Sobbe, the sale of Bubble Tea started well at McDonald's. (Ag)

Read about:
Bubble Tea: Sweet and unhealthy cult drink
Often unknown ingredients in bubble tea
Consumer advocates warn against bubble tea
Health Warning Bubble Tea
Bubble Tea: Modern fattening
Lung collapse due to bubble teas

Image: Liwe-photos Photography, Wikipedia Germany