Unfortunately, boba itself provides very few health benefits, though its calories and carbohydrates can provide you with a boost in energy. In most cases, boba tea contains high levels of sugar, which is linked to long-term health conditions like diabetes and obesity.
Boba tea is a milk-based drink that contains calories, and it is not scientifically proven that this drink will help in weight loss. Boba is all carbohydrates, and carbs do not help in weight loss. People do need a source of carbs; even when dieting, eradicating these from your diet is not the answer either.
However, boba is also high in sugar and calories, which can lead to weight gain if consumed in excess. Boba should be enjoyed in moderation as part of a balanced diet. While boba itself may not make you fat, consuming too many boba drinks can contribute to weight gain over time.
A typical boba drink uses between 25 and 75 of these tapioca pearls, so that means that just the tapioca in your drink can easily add up to hundreds of calories. And that's without the tea blend! So, your boba drink will probably contain 400 - 1000 calories, depending on the size and the ingredients.
The bottom line. Tapioca is almost pure starch and contains very few nutrients. On its own, it has no impressive health benefits or adverse effects.
Benefits of Taro and Taro Bubble Tea
Containing a significant amount of dietary fibre, carbohydrates, and essential vitamins such as Vitamin A, C, E, B6, folate, magnesium, iron, and more, taro is a fantastic supplement to vitamins and minerals that modern diets lack.
Brown sugar milk tea with boba has been found as the unhealthiest option with 18.5 teaspoons of sugar. For an easy reference, a can of regular coke contains 7 teaspoons of sugar; a cup of brown sugar milk tea with pearl is equivalent to 2.6 cans of coke.
Lychee fruit tea is perfect for boba lovers who enjoy fruit tea but also don't want anything too sweet. This popular option is the lowest-calorie one at 220 calories.
“Drinking unsweetened black or green tea daily has health benefits, but drinking pearl milk tea regularly may not be a healthy choice if you are watching your weight or controlling your calorie and sugar intakes,” says Ms Wong Hui Xin, Dietitian, Department of Dietetics and the LIFE Centre (Lifestyle Enhancement & ...
Potential Health Benefits of Boba Tea
One study that drinking green tea — a common base for boba tea — can lower blood pressure and total cholesterol, which can lower the risk of developing serious conditions like heart disease and stroke. Green tea has also been shown to have an impact on certain cancers.
But there are a few reasons to enjoy this sweetened beverage in moderation. Drinking too much of it may increase your chances of developing diet-related diseases and leave you constipated. "One to two cups a day should be fine, but you shouldn't consume anything in excess," advised Dr. Kushnir.
Results indicate a 16 ounce (473 mL) single serving of a boba drink with milk tea and tapioca “boba” balls containing 299 calories and 38 grams of sugar.
A 24 fluid-ounce serving of Classic Milk Tea: 243 calories and 63 g sugar. For comparison, your typical 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola is 140 calories and has 39 grams of sugar. A 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola is similar to the 24-ounce Classic Milk Tea nutrition: 240 calories and 65 grams of sugar.
Boba pearls are made of tapioca starch that comes from the cassava root, so compassionate customers can rest easy knowing that gelatin is not used in the making of these tiny balls of deliciousness.
Boba are basically all carbs — they lack any minerals or vitamins and contain no fiber. One bubble tea can contain as much as 50 grams of sugar and close to 500 calories. While one bubble tea here and there is unlikely to have severe effects on your health, it should absolutely not be consumed on a daily basis.
Boba is made from tapioca starch, also known as cassava starch, which is why they're often also labeled as "tapioca pearls." They're small spheres that are often simmered in a brown sugar syrup to give them a sweet taste and dark black color.
Limit yourself to 1 or 2 bubble teas in a week. You can share with a friend instead of buying 1 each, to split the calories and save money too. Plain teas such as green tea, oolong tea and black tea are available from many bubble tea outlets – and these have zero calories.
Sure, it has caffeine (sometimes), but the sugar content and empty calories make it a poor replacement for coffee or plain old tea. Bottom line: Feel free to enjoy boba tea in moderation, but definitely keep in mind that it does not meet the health criteria for a healthy, daily pick-me-up.
Taro is one of the most popular boba tea flavors in cafes and shops. Its purple color, creamy and starchy texture, and sweet taste like vanilla attract many boba tea lovers. It is usually one of the bestsellers of the cafes, among with classic Thai milk tea and black milk tea.
Taro tea is purple because it is made with taro powder. Taro powder is derived from the starchy root vegetable called taro. The real taro root has white flesh with some purple spots.
Milk tea (without sugar being added) is healthy
It is hydrating and satisfying, especially when served over ice, on a hot and muggy day. It contains antioxidants that may help reduce the risk of heart issues or cancer.
The gelatinous tapioca pearls found in boba tea may not deliver impressive results in terms of nutrients, flavor, and vitamin on their own, but they are not completely useless. Tapioca originates from the starch of cassava roots. Tapioca aids digestion by functioning like fiber.
A good rule of thumb is to assume that each boba flavor will have 1.5-3 tablespoons of sugar. The best part is that many boba cafes understand that a lot of people don't actually like their boba too sweet.
We calculate that for a 700 ml or 24 oz serving of bubble milk tea, which is usually the large cup size in most boba shops, the total bubble tea calories are 700 kcal. This is for a full-sugar serving that contains 60 g of sugar.