In Search Of Healthier Bubble Tea: Does It Exist? | Part 2/2 | Talking Point
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- Опубліковано 4 лют 2025
- We know it’s loaded with sugar, but we’re still addicted to it. In this second episode looking into our obsession with bubble tea, host Steve Chia goes in search of the elusive healthy bubble tea and finds out how drinking the sweetened beverage for a month, has wrecked his health!
Catch up on Part 1: • What's With Our Obsess...
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"I've realized that I don't actually like the pearls"
Boba fans: So you have chosen death
The only pearls that I actually am able to even eat is from liho any other stores I will just throw away aha
Thank you HHAHAHAHAH
@Alexi Malenkov yeah like just ask for milk tea only
The pearls are hard to chew and i don't prefer them
They make the milk tea taste very weird to me
And also i just ask for konjac(jelly) in my milk tea
I prefer pudding over tapioca pearls in my milk teas tbh
This is some journalism; my man gained 2kg for this piece.
Supersize me: bubble tea edition.
Sugar here makes everybody gain weight... Omg... All the flavorings and fake sugar. Scary right?
he just swollen from excess water
@@TenKurVynas hahahaha excess water???!!! it is all sugar turn fatty organ xD
Haha simple Google shows that you’re not his lady 🫢
Let's be real: bubble tea without bubbles is just overpriced teh peng
yea lol if I don't want the pearls, I'll just go to a coffee shop or make it myself
@@moonsunismarried dude even worse coffee shop serves overpriced drinks too...best to make it ourselves yup yup
Addictive. Boba is like whip fresh cream. Mmmm....
Tiger sugar is just cendol.
this is how they earn
CNA you need to bump up Steven's health insurance to premium pls
ha ha! Maybe a pay rise too!
Do both haha😂😂!
Lol I remember one of my friends just ordered pearls and nothing else. The cashier handed him a whole cup of pearls and he just ate it 😂🧋
That's hardcore
wts where he order from sia i tried most stores and they dont let me do that lol
@@yeos6169 the store is called bubble tea station or BTS it’s in the Philipines 🇵🇭
Wait, what?! Hahahaha
@@zoegultiano1138 in Cebu?
Reporters: Bubble tea is unhealthy
Me, a smooth brained intellectual: Half sugar, half ice
That honestly makes the most sense. I only get water tea bubble tea. No need for the milk.
The sugar industries have created cheap processed foods that make us addicted, then now we're trying to mimick these bad for health foods and it's more expensive. What a double whammy.
Moderation is key, we can’t completely cut it out and substituting just don’t feel the same then we can only do it in moderation
Love bubble/boba tea but I haven't had it in a year. I would like to drink it every now and then but just thinking about how much sugar it has turns me off. Ugh...
@@TheTruthHurts6666 you can always opt for Low sugar versions, in my opinion 25% sugar still doesn’t kill the soul of bubble tea and if I’m not wrong playmate doesn’t use tapioca for the pearls so it’s like in the video white pearls or smthn it’s still really good, if you’re going for brown sugar you can always opt no sugar and mix the brown sugar in more when you get the drink like shake it a little bit
@@TheTruthHurts6666 I always opt for 0 sugar and no ice if possible.Pearls I may opt out or replace with other alternative sometimes. To me the fragrance of the tea is very important LOL.
I dont even know what it taste like
Moderation is deadly. Sugar is toxic.
When I drink bubble tea, I always skip my lunch or dinner. I also order it without sugar.
Usually whenever I drink it, i skip out on a meal too! I get really fully after drinking it
Me too. Of course he will gain weight if he doesn’t any other changes in his diet and add on extra calories for his daily intake.
I do exactly the same. Zero sugar, almond milk, no toppings and I skip a meal. That way I drink 3 per week without gaining weight. I love it so much that I had to find a way to balance it …
same
The only thing is that it has little nutritional value. You’re starving your body of energy and fuel it can really use.
I like bbt, but i drink them only when i have a feel for it, and also depends on my pocket. Pearls expensive.
Same here.
Here’s a tip- moderation is key just like everything else. You can drink the tea WITH the tapioca pearls whenever you want but don’t overdo it. Once a week or two is fine, as long as it fits your macros.
Also, most places now allow you to order with 1/2 or less sugar. This helps if that’s a concern.
Used to drink a lot during schooling when the cheap bubble teas were still around at only a dollar or 2 at most. The price has been a great motivator for me to cut it out from my diet. Likewise for fast food. Thank you price increase, you've done my health a favour.
Haha sameee pricey price keeps me away from consume unhealthy food
I feel like the biggest surprise from this video is that the milk isn't even real milk.
He RiSKEd hIS lIFe For THis VidEO
ya lol. dedication man.
Yes he is brave
still stunned that there are people opting for 100% sugar in bbt...
They either dont care about their health, have health insurance or have a sweet tooth
I have seen ppl ask for 200% sugar
Singapore: drinking bubble tea 3 times a week not healthy lah, USA: drink Coke everyday
They consume 2 litres of soda pop a day in my brother's house
Ewwwww. Who drinks that much soda a day. Like as a person who's Jamaican American and lives in America I couldn't even imagine drinking that much soda a day and i literally love sweet things
Like that sounds like their putting themselves in a death sentence 😥
i like drink it every few weeks as a treat lol
oooh no...American here, I don’t know anyone who drinks Coke more than occasionally
No wonder Bubble tea is so famous in SE Asia that Talking Point had to split it into two parts.
Please investigate alternatives to the plastic packaging to bubble tea? Thanks! I would like to know more about the impacts of the plastic waste due to the boost in bubble tea popularity.
Some shop allows you to bring your own cup like coffee shops and also there are reusable straws.
I went to Gong Cha with my reusable cup and they refused to serve me because it had another companies branding on the resuable cup.
one things I hate about these climate change hippies is that they always complain and never offer a solution. they banned plastic bags and straws but didn't even think to replace them with cornstarch bags and straws. instead we ended up with soggy paper straws and being charged for plastic bags. clearly this is not about the environment. unfortunately I have seen bubble tea places replace their cups with paper cups and not being able to see the drink just takes the fun out of it. they could easily use cornstarch cups instead. the best part about the cornstarch alternatives is that you can't tell it's not plastic and it's biodegradable too!
i've been making my own pearl latte at home with stevia and almond/oat milk. It will taste bland for regular pearl drinkers but for me its just enough to satisfy a craving without downing an entire pitcher of sugar. it's also a fun alternative to my morning coffee.
@@sandyeo i buy them premade in packets at a baking supply shop. They are so cheap and shelf stable for long time. You can't believe how much these milk tea shops were charging for pearls.
@@sandyeo unfortunately you'll need to boil them for awhile to rehydrate and get the chewy texture. I would make one batch in the morning for the entire day or for a small group or family.
I've been waiting for the second part. Thank you to the people who did this documentary for opening my eyes. I'd rather make my own milktea at home then 🤣
So grateful that I was born not liking eating pearls. LOL
@助理Julia your mom likes pearls? or can order without pearl kind. Haha
My dude you are missing out ngl
I love the pearl, but only drink it with pearl once in the blue moon, with out pearl its not the same.
To make it healthier in the US just get your tea or coffee (unsweetned) add a milk of choice and then ask for them to sweeten it with Stevia.
Back when bubble tea wasn't a big thing yet, every time I got these drinks I just hated having to eat all the pearls lol so eventually I stopped getting them in the drink. I think a few times my friends even teased me about it. Now I never ever get them with boba (and actually love most of the alternatives), and after watching this I'm super thankful for my personal taste xD
something that i do when i make my own boba is, i make it in a blender and replace the brown sugar, with fresh mango puree !! and it tastes really good too !!!
I admired his courage to be experimental on himself with the bubble tea
thanks! Am now trying intermittent fasting...another upcoming episode of Talking Point
It doesn’t seem easy to meet our health, taste, and even price at the same time. But we need to find the best solution. Keep going! 💪
moderation is the key i think! personally, i try to limit myself to only get bubble tea once maybe twice a month 😁
I drink once in 12 years
Everything in Moderation 🥰
I don't see how making a "Healthier Bubble Tea" is difficult. An average 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 (This of course varies from store to store and preference). 38 grams of sugar translates to roughly 150 calories. This means that around half of the calories are from sugar alone. Replace sugar with sweeteners (such as Splenda) should significantly reduce the calorie intake. Moreover, replace the tapioca ball with low carb alternative like a firm gelatin ball will lower the calories even further. You can make boba tea with few grams of carb and less than 100 calories per serving.
Can we appreciate the editor adding in all the slurping sounds right on cue
i always order bubble tea with 0% sugar, i know the boba pearl already caramelized with sugar. don't add any more sugar
Mine is always 0 percent with white pearl 😂
Need to order fresh milk as an healthier option, i didnt know the original bb tea fluid was so unhealthy :x
@@juniorjunk fresh milk makes it taste so meh though. It completely waters the tea down. I'd rather just take the sugar away. 🤣
Whenever I go to a bubble tea place, I get a fruit tea with 1/2 sugar and grass jelly. It was obvious when i was 16 that this tea was totally unhealthy. But it's supposed to be a treat. People also buy those sugary drinks from Starbucks too - they are full of fake ingredients and really fattening. But again, you have it as a treat occasionally. Lots of things are aimed at kids because then you have life long brand loyalty. But parents should be educating their kids, and schools should be talking about this.
Healthier bubbletea? Blow bubble into the teh la!
That seems affective.
Isn't that just teh tarik?
bubbles that don’t digest... that explains that bowel obstruction surgery we had to do on that patient who drank bbt every day.
There was even a girl who would drink it sometimes multiple times a day. That can't be good for the system
Is it only me?I like this presenter. He’s so cool.You would not catch me drinking bubble tea.
This was such an interesting episode, I do think that moderation is key, and to choose a lower sweetness level instead of 100%
I don't see all the other toppings as a "substitute" to pearls, just a different option. Sometimes I want the more herbal-y flavor of grass jelly, or the complimentary fruitiness of aiyu jelly, aloe, etc with a non-dairy fruity type drink. Pre-pandemic when I usually got bbt around once or twice a week, I didn't get tired of it bc I get different flavors and toppings every time to switch things up.
Bubble tea is fine, as long as it's consumed in moderation. Asking people to order bubble tea without the pearl/bubble is like going to Starbucks to order plain tap water. It just does not make any sense.
Moderation means one every month in my opinion and is actually one a day in most addicts' opinion.
Moderation to me is once a year.
To others it can be 2 or3 times a week. Many colleagues have an addiction to it. They have it after lunch on every friday or whenever they feel stressed and needed the extra "boost", no kidding.
Mine is once to none per week
one a month is fine, it won't kill you.
The rice yogurt looks super good, reminds me of rice pudding. I wish I could try it.
Been waiting for this 😄
Me too
Hafizha Sarah and me. The last episode left me hanging.
I gonna stick with my coffee and tea after hearing that health check results.
Same here. Sometimes I feel its best to just go for black coffee or tea without sugar.
At 17:16 "but they don't digest so quickly and so easily, so they will stick to the gut, almost undigested." . Wouldn't that be bad for the digestive system?
She called for low fat or skim milk but that contains more sugar than normal milk, it's even worse
Thank you! sometimes I'm surprised certified dietitians advise skimmed or low-fat...like hello? how about the fat soluble vitamins?? all gone!
@@naibo8249 exactly and having a balance of fat keeps the insulin response less intense and balanced as it induces a slower release time. It will also keep the person more satiated and therefore not eat as many empty calories for the rest of the day.
Hi Steve, Problem with bubble tea, soft drinks many hawker food & Restaurant’s food is the killer sugar that’s added. Whole food on its own has its own natural sugar & salt present in it including vegetables. Suggest that HSA & NEA should together in a concerted stamp out added sugars into food & beverages. Grade food vendors with healthy stamps / certifications based on amount of added sugars in their food / beverages. That will be really more healthy to all. Cheers
"I realised I don't like the pearls", he says...
Drop the Mic 🎤 End the Episode.
🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
Well, I found this video very interesting to watch... But didn't learn alot of new information I didn't already know. (Except for possible healthier pearls releasing soon)
But I do think it was a good episode for many to watch to understand the risks of over indulgence... This could be applied to Bubble Tea, Starbucks or Alcohol.
I firmly believe in 'Everything in Moderation' 🥰
All empty calories. If i have to order, I'd get aloe vera with Earl grey milk tea at 0% sugar. The aloe vera taste rather sweet so no more added sugar.
My hot drinks when I'm out, are usually black coffee or tea without sugar.
When I'm home, do make my own bullet proof coffee.
I hate how these customers are drinking like 500+ calories per cup, yet they're all slim.
I used to be so addicted to bubble tea. I drank it daily for 6 months. And then suddenly I just got sick of it. 😂
And stopped drinking entirely. Even until now I still don't like drinking bubble tea anymore. I guess the love has burnt out. And all the better for my health. Haha
I had no idea what goes into bubble tea. I've seen sachets of tapioca pearls in the tea section of the Osayo store but assumed it was a kind of pudding, because, historically, that what tapioca was used for, in the West! I also was misinformed about the tea by a friend who said that the bubbles were formed from seaweed! Glad I've seen this excellent piece exposing the unhealthiness of this drink. I don't even have sugar in my usual beverages so I doubt I would order this drink more than once!
bro if ur gonna order no topping at this point buy at coffee shop or make yourself
Healthier Option. Home made bubble tea. 😆 No suger added. Home made pearls. :)
in my store they have a machine where they make the pearls fresh from the starch ^_^ so you can have those and the drink without sugar (and it tastes great) they probaby save money in the long run too because the bubbles are more expensive than the starch
It’s literally tea milk a fuk load of sugar and pearls.
Healthy or not is really up to the consumers. They are responsible to keep themselves healthy. Not a secret that those tea drinks are loaded with sugar and added favors, not something anyone should drink often.
Honestly, I used to think it was the pearls that made me feel bloated after bubble tea. I'm in the US, and lately I've been getting my bubble tea with the "less sweet" option (50% or 30% depending on the flavor) and with oat milk, and I haven't been feeling bloated afterwards. I don't think a lot of people realize that a large amount of milk can make them feel bloated, and they don't realize just how much milk is it bubble tea (it's A LOT, maybe about 75% of the cup). Getting something like coconut milk would also decrease the calories by about 60%, but I like oat milk more. Also, depending on the flavor, you can definitely get a no caffeine option (taro is one). I try to not drink caffeine after 3pm, so I always make sure to check before getting something. Of course, if you're getting bubble tea once a week or less, that will also be much healthier for you. (A little background. Most days I just drink black coffee in the mornings (and enjoy the taste of it!), and herbal tea in the evening if anything, plenty of water throughout the day and sometimes a carbonated flavored water (zero calories)... treating yourself is all about moderation.)
feels like my google is spying on me... i was just talking abt staring my own bubble tea stall.. and CNA show me this.. lol
Bruh i’m addicted to it 💀🤣 Is UA-cam watching me LMFAO
This seems like a very long advertisement for Milksha.
I don't even drink this once a week or even a month! can't imagine how much money did you spend on that beverage, I'd rather spend on fruits cuz they're equally expensive
That’s why it’s called a treat. No matter how unhealthy they are, you’re not supposed to consume them everyday.
Natta de coco is an option for bubble tea in the Philippines, it's made from coconut and in my opinion has better mouth feel than tapioca balls
Yup I’m a Filipino so good
Yessss
That gives me an idea to add in to my kombucha tea 😊😊
yes! nata de coco is also an alternative topping for tea in Indonesia ❤️
"Tapioca is not healthy because it is primarily carbohydrate."
So rich, pasta, etc. are all unhealthy?
/facepalm
honestly, mr coconut queues during post CB are insane rn!! i think more so than bbt
Bubble Tea is not healthy as long as there are pearls. Soooooo, just drink tea. Hahaha
If bad things are done in moderation you have a much lower risk.
For instance try doing no foods with added sugars but allow yourself 1 treat a week that may have added sugars but isn’t loaded with sugar.
I didn’t allow myself treats but when I did a no added sugar diet I lost 20lbs in 2.5 months. I was only a tiny amount overweight.
But if you struggle allow yourself a treat at the end of the week. Like a bubble tea with less sugar :)
I’ve been craving it and then UA-cam shows me this... Big yIKES
Who else is sipping bubble tea while watching this 😂
2 bubble teas.
ooh I didn't know you could order with 0% sugar. I always say "the least amount of sugar" but it still ends up too sweet
The yogurt drinks with the purple rice are actually quite attractive.
I prefer 爆爆珠 more than pearls if anyone knows what I am talking about. Crispy transparent bubble with juice inside, same size as pearls
yeah, love those aswell
yes u can longan tea is naturally sweet and get konjac pearls instead
Truth is even 0% sugar, because its added sugar and if 0% means you don't add (added sugar), its still sugary originally sweeten by the formula that already contains high sugary sweeteners....So at least ask for 0% and they are still very sweet. Our taste will improve and we will start feeling less sweeten drink as sweet. Chasing after sweeter drink actually numb and impair the taste sense. The same can be said towards spicy and salty taste senses.
You can always get bubble tea without sugar.
Food isn't "healthy" or "unhealthy." What matters is the portioning and the frequency of consumption.
Any bubble tea company reading this... I would want the tapioca pearls without sugar ...call me boring if you must, I do not enjoy the sugary taste of the pearl but I love the texture of the pearls 😋
8:30 looking at the background, I can tell this is bubble tea shop is located at wood square 👀
Currently having my *R&B Cheese Brulee Brown Sugar Boba Fresh Milk* while watching this lol 🤣😅
Another option when i feel jelak with regular pearl, i would order wintermelon tea with 0% sugar and white pearl from Gongcha 👌🏻
Oh wow. I need to stop drinking coffee from Starbucks I guess and drink normal coffee at home.
This need more studies 🤔 I can't stop drinking this.
@@icecold__ woah, do read up on the damages for sugar and high carbs, T2 diabetes and insulin relation. 2 years is not gonna show, but depending on your genetics, it's might take 5 to 15 years for one to turn pre-diabetic and then T2 diabetes. Sugar and carbs (causes insulin issues) is the problem, not fats.
@@icecold__ I'm not saying boba is a problem, but Carbs & Sugar are. The problem here is the industry is misleading saying and the lack education on this topic is a major issue. But medical science is now slowly shifting their opinion on these matter because metabolic issue is a complex issue and medical science has a tough time on proving it except statistics and time. In the 1970s, the sugar industries put the blame on fat instead of sugar, then came processed food, then came the flawed healthy food pyramid, but now medical board changes to the "pie chart" diagram. If you look at the rise of diabetes starting 1970s, it's a shocking match to this change. Doctors and medical science is starting to see that cholesterol is not leading cause of heart disease as we've known (When we do not eat enough, our liver produces itself!). Basically high glycemic index food spikes our insulin, and when it's chronically high, comes insulin resistance (T2 Diabetes), then it leads to all the common killer diseases (heart, kidney, liver, colon etc... Now many doctors and medical scientist are proposing that Alzheimer's to be Type 3 diabetes. Because these issues are so complex, we'll need another 10-30 years before the medical industry is able to have enough concrete data to proof and certify change. But change is also slowed down by the food industry and business. So while if we educate ourselves, we better defend ourselves before it's too late. Don't believe my words, if you care, do your own reading. Good Luck & Happy New Year!
Ya try to avoid sugar. Cause it can affect the brain and is addictive
@@icecold__ Yea. Even some doctors you see might be ill-informed too. Many online articles derived from medical studies isn't accurate. 80% of medical studies about heart disease vs sugar, high fat, low carb related studies came from surveys! And many articles misinterpret the data thus why there's so many misconception out there nowadays. Just for sharing: ua-cam.com/video/jpNU72dny2s/v-deo.html
I love bubble tea with aloe vera and aiyu jelly most of the time~ it's very delicious! :D
better to lower frequency of enjoying the drink you like than drinking a lot of quasi-healthier version of bbt you don’t even like
Instead of sugar, why not whip up dates into syrup and add it to bubble tea. Got to have caffeine, more the better.
It's funny that the reporter Zooms with that Holista company person, but there is a camera person at that company filming the Zoom interview :D
i make my own milk tea, coffee jelly (sugarfree jelly) green tea milk (almond milk or whole cream milk) monkfruit for sweetener.
That low GI pearls is a good news for everyone conscious of their sugar levels. It may be more expensive but it's more expensive to have health complications. Hope it also reaches PH. Someone from here should franchise it......🤔
5:59 Steven came out of the room the pearl was made, asked how is it made, the both of them entered the same room (pearl was made)…
observant haha
I never realized people are drinking it at that insane amt per week. The amt of times they drink per week is what I drink per year. I drink on certain days I'm less picky and hanging with friends who want it. I don't think it taste bad. I just think it's an insanely sweet to drink just as most American desserts are insanely sweet to eat. OR maybe bc I'm more of a tea drinker that I think boba tea is just " fake tea" sorta like how I like my coffee black and my mom puts 98% milk, 1 tbsp coffee and I would tease that it was "fake coffee"
I think the reason peole drink it a lot is the same way some would drink starbucks a lot. "Tea" so "healthier" - this is how I used to view it but after this video, I'm going to think critically about milk tea now.
respect to steven chia for sacrificing his body
I wouldn't mind to do the sacrifice
We have an ingredient in our 'Ginataang Halo-halo' which resembles the pearl since it's round and it is made of glutinous rice! It is chewy indeed.
When I get bbt now instead of pearls I top up extra to replace the pearls with aloe Vera which is healthier
The hype about the bubble/boba made the 'regular milk tea' became 'expensive milk tea'. Seriously, if you can make it by yourself it's not that expensive. All you need it's just milk, tea, palm sugar/brown sugar, and a boba. The simple one it's just milk+brown sugar+boba there you go you have a cup of bubble and if you want to call it milk tea just add some tea
I DIY myself with milk tea, use black tee, Full cream milk or milk powder and grass jelly and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Recently my fam made masala chai, its made from ground spices so perhaps it could go well w your black tea!
asking people who want bubble tea if they want the tea without the bubbles is like asking people if they want their chocolate milkshake without chocolate
Yay i finally found someone who doesn't like pearls too!!!
remove the boba
remove the milk
remove the sugar
add some O² bubble
HEALTHY BUBBLE TEA
I don't get bubbles anymore nowadays. If I want to get something healthy, I'd get plain tea with 30% sugar, or sometimes no sugar. I used to get grass jelly but have cut down on that as well. These people are truly bubble tea fans lol
I never liked the chewiness of the pearls, and hated that it’s super sweet lmao. But I still buy the occasional milk tea drink (without pearls) because it still tastes different than when I make it at home XD just to splurge myself lol
Those white pearls are called Sago in the Philippines. They are flavourless and less chewy than your normal tapioca pearl, but healthier.
i'm a boba tea lover but the pearls are always too sweet and the portion is too big for me. now i scale down my boba intake but still cant quit it entirely
My concern is more with the fat than the sugar since I use cream to make my boba tea. Also, I sometimes like drinking just the tea - not crazy for the boba especially considering I know how bad they can be for your health when they already have sugar on em. You can substitute sugar with honey instead for a healthier option as honey is also sweeter so you need less of it.
Who loves bubble tea here?
I don't see how making a "Healthier Bubble Tea" is difficult. An average 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 (This of course varies from store to store and preference). 38 grams of sugar translates to roughly 150 calories. This means that around half of the calories are from sugar alone. Replace sugar with sweeteners (such as Splenda) should significantly reduce the calorie intake. Moreover, replace the tapioca ball with low carb alternative like a firm gelatin balls will lower the calories even further.
yes totally, replace sugar with a possible cancer-causing artificial sweetener 🙄 there are natural sweeteners that can be used instead!
Why does it feel like this was filmed late 90s early 2000s? 🤣