Dear colleagues and students,Bubble tea drinks (also known as tapioca drinks, hand-shaken drinks) are very popular recently. Drinks made with fresh milk and brown sugar are advertised as healthier choices. However, there are many mistaken beliefs of this kind of drinks.
Brown sugar is a good source of minerals. Is it a healthier choice when compared with white sugar?
Brown sugar contains minerals, such as iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium, that are not found in white sugar. However, both of them provide similar calorie content. 100 grams of white sugar contain 400 kcalories while that of brown sugar contains 390 kcalories. Brown sugar not only provides minerals, but also high content of sugar and calories.
There is no trans-fat when using fresh milk to make bubble tea drinks. Is it a healthier choice when compared with drinks made with creamer?
Bubble tea drinks made with creamer contain saturated fatty acid and trans-fat which lead to high cholesterol and increase the risk of heart diseases. On the other hand, whole-fat milk is usually used when preparing drinks with fresh milk. Whole-fat milk contains vitamin B, protein and calcium. However, when drinks made with whole-fat milk and brown sugar, it becomes a drink of high-fat, high-sugar and high-calorie. Recently Municipal Affairs Bureau conducted an inspection on the bubble tea drinks in the market. The result showed that most of the samples are high in sugar. The bureau reminded the public to have a balanced diet and reduce the consumption of high sugary drinks.
Sources (Chinese only):
Ming Pao news
Municipal Affairs Bureau of Government of Macao S.A.R.
If you would like to read more health tips, please visit the website of Office of Health, Safety and Environmental Affairs https://hseo.umac.mo/health-tips/
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