Are bubble tea pearls toxic?

Are bubble tea pearls toxic?

Bubble tea — that sweet, tea-based drink filled with giant tapioca balls — may be a hazard to your health. A new German study finds the starchy balls can contain cancer-causing PCBs, a group of of industrial chemicals that have been linked to a long list of health hazards.

Are tapioca pearls unhealthy?

The main components of bubble tea are tea, milk, and tapioca pearls — as well as alarmingly high levels of sugar. Tapioca pearls — loved for their chewy, candy-like texture and often referred to by their Chinese name, boba — are as bad for your health as actual candy.

What are the chemicals in boba tea?

The Drink Components™ of bubble tea is made with 4 ingredients: Flavor: Flavored powder, flavored syrup, fruit purees or fresh fruit. Creamer: Powder creamer, half-n-half, full milk or other creamer. Sweetener: Sugar, simple sugar syrup, fructose, or honey.

Does tapioca have PCB?

A report from Germany had showed that the chewy tapioca balls may contain cancer- causing chemicals known as aspolychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs. The chemical PCB is a man-made organic chemical manufactured between 1929 and 1979. It has been proven that PCBs can cause cancer.

Can your body digest tapioca pearls?

Bubble tea balls are easily digestible for most people Since tapioca comes from the starch-based cassava root, it’s mainly filled with carbohydrates, according to Healthline. Starches like cassava function similarly to fiber in the body, and healthy people can digest them with no problems, Dr. de Latour said.

Why is boba unhealthy?

Not only do boba add extra calories, they don’t actually contribute anything in the way of nutrition. 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.

Is boba healthier than Starbucks?

When you compare a cup of Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino and a milk tea with boba both at 16 oz. (grande) you’ll find that the standard frap contains 420 calories with 66 grams of sugar, while the tea is just 212 calories with 42 grams of sugar, plus another 200-250 calories with boba added.

Is tapioca poisonous?

Cassava (Tapioca) is a worldwide staple food consumed by over 800 million people. It contains cyanide which may lead to acute toxicity or chronically may be an aetiological factor in tropical nutritional amblyopia, tropical neuropathy, endemic goitre, cretinism and tropical diabetes.

Is there plastic in boba?

In a recent food scandal, a chemical known as DEHP that is used to synthesize plastics was also found in some of the juice syrups and other additives in Taiwan’s bubble tea. Some of these syrups and tea additives may have been exported to boba shops across the US and other parts of the world.

Are tapioca pearls cancerous?

Despite a handful of news reports to the contrary, there’s no scientific evidence linking boba to cancer. The study that led to these claims misidentified several compounds and was never published or peer reviewed.

Can boba clog your intestines?

Although bubble tea pearls can cause constipation, they wouldn’t normally show up on a CT scan, experts said. After speaking with the teen about what she’d eaten recently, doctors concluded that the unusual shadows on the scan were actually undigested bubble tea pearls, which are ordinarily made from tapioca starch.

Do tapioca pearls have cyanide?

Tapioca comes from the cassava plant. Cassava contains high concentrations of linamarin, which turns into cyanide when eaten raw. Linamarin is removed from tapioca during the production process, which is why boba lovers like myself are not suffering from cyanide poisoning.