Is the trans fatty acid content of milk tea off the charts? Drinking too much will turn your blood milky white? The truth is this →

Hot summer

A cup of iced milk tea

It is a source of happiness and a good way to relieve summer heat for many people.

However↓

For a long time, there have been various rumors about milk tea on the Internet, such as "milk tea is made of creamer", "milk tea has too much trans fatty acid", "the 'pearls' in milk tea are made of plastic", etc. Some people even shouted the slogan "Cherish life, stay away from milk tea". So, which of these rumors are true and which are just rumors? Today, I will reveal the four truths about milk tea for you.

01

Rumor: Milk tea is made from creamer, and creamer = trans fatty acids?

Analysis: Creamer ≠ trans fatty acids.

As the concept of health becomes more popular, most people already know the relationship between milk tea and creamer. Some people even think of "creamer" and then "trans fatty acids" when they hear "milk tea". Some people say: "Milk tea is made of creamer, and the trans fatty acids are too high to drink!"

The milk in milk tea may be milk, evaporated milk, creamer (non-dairy creamer), non-dairy milk. The main ingredient of creamer is non-dairy creamer, which is a legal substance used to replace milk in food production, and creamer ≠ trans fat. Trans fatty acids may exist in creamer, but with the improvement of raw materials and production processes, the trans fatty acid content in many creamer products is very low. Excessive intake of trans fatty acids can be harmful to human health, but the trans fatty acids contained in a cup of milk tea are generally far below the safety line, so drinking milk tea occasionally will not exceed the trans fatty acid standard.

In addition, friends who often drink instant milk tea do not need to worry too much about the problem of trans fatty acids. Although the first ingredient in many instant milk teas is non-dairy creamer, the nutrition label will be marked with "trans fatty acids are 0 grams". Although this does not mean that it does not contain trans fatty acids, it at least shows that the trans fatty acid content of this milk tea is low, which is less than 0.3 grams per 100 grams. Because according to the provisions of my country's "General Rules for Nutrition Labeling of Pre-packaged Foods", when the trans fatty acid content is ≤0.3%, the nutrition label can be marked as "0".

Image source: e-commerce platform

The "Dietary Reference Intakes for Chinese Residents (2013 Edition)" states that the maximum limit of trans fatty acids produced by food industry processing in the diet of children over 2 years old and adults in my country is 1% of the total dietary energy, roughly equivalent to 2 grams per day.

As long as you stay within the recommended intake, there is no need to worry about drinking milk tea occasionally. There is no need to create anxiety for yourself. After all, happiness is also important. However, eating foods containing trans fatty acids frequently is not good for your health. It will increase the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood and reduce the amount of good cholesterol, thereby increasing the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. [1] Therefore, you should be more careful about how often you drink milk tea.

At present, the milk tea on the market is gradually leaning towards the health angle. Some brands are already made with real milk and refuse creamer. If you are a milk tea lover, you can also choose real milk tea made and sold on site.

02

Rumor: Are the “pearls” in milk tea made of plastic?

Analysis: There is no plastic in this tapioca pearl product, which is made of starch as the main raw material. Please pay attention to safety when eating it.

The "pearls" in milk tea have a chewy texture and are therefore loved by many people.

Some people think that "pearls" are made of "plastic", but they are not. This kind of "pearl" is actually a tapioca product made of starch as the main raw material. The main raw material is usually cassava starch, plus xanthan gum or guar gum, caramel color and other food additives, which contains high carbohydrates.

Image source: e-commerce platform

It is important to note that pearls are potentially dangerous, so be careful when drinking pearl milk tea, drink slowly and chew carefully. Children in particular should avoid swallowing the whole pearl, which may cause choking or even suffocation.

03

Rumor: Is the coconut flakes in milk tea “coconut meat”?

Analysis: Coconut fruit is a processed product, not real coconut meat.

Coconut fruit is often found in milk tea and canned fruit. It is white, transparent, elastic and tastes very nice! Its name is "coconut fruit" and many people think it is coconut meat.

In fact, coconut nut is not coconut meat. Although there is no national mandatory standard for coconut nut, there are import and export industry standards. The standard stipulates that coconut nut is a cellulose gel substance made from coconut water or coconut juice (milk) as the main raw material, fermented by xylem-glucose acetobacter, also known as coconut fiber nut, coconut nata or high-fiber coconut nut. [3]

Therefore, coconut fruit is a product that is further processed from coconut water or coconut juice, and is not coconut meat.

04

Rumor: Drinking too much milk tea will cause you to have “milk tea blood”?

Analysis: The appearance of "milk tea blood" has no direct relationship with milk tea, so you should pay attention to your daily eating habits.

Some people say: "You can't drink milk tea too often, otherwise your blood will turn into milky white 'milk tea blood'."

Milk tea should not be drunk frequently or in large quantities, but milk tea is not to blame for "milk tea blood". The rumored "milk tea blood" refers to chylomicron blood, which means that the triglyceride concentration in the blood is too high, which will form triglyceride (TG) chylomicrons in the blood. Especially people who usually eat greasy food are prone to "milk tea blood", which has no direct relationship with whether or not to drink milk tea.

However, drinking milk tea frequently will increase the risk of hyperlipidemia, obesity, diabetes, etc., so you must control it!

Copyrighted stock images, no reproduction is authorized

in conclusion

Milk tea goes well with summer, but you can’t drink it every day. Drinking too much is not good for your health. Young people, you still need to drink more water~

References:

[1] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents[M]. People's Medical Publishing House. 2022

[2]https://www.ccn.com.cn/Content/2023/03-15/1207184208.html

[3]SN/T 4597-2016 Inspection Procedure for Imported Coconut

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Review｜Chen Ran Associate Research Librarian (Science Communication)/Senior Engineer, COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute

The article is produced by "Science Refutes Facts" (ID: Science_Facts). Please indicate the source when reprinting.

The cover image and images within this article are from the copyright gallery. Reprinting and quoting them may lead to copyright disputes.