Pearl Milk Tea A Slimmer's Nightmare

As the summer heat continues, consumption of refreshing drinks is on the up, something that holds especially true for local speciality 'zhenzhu naicha', or pearl milk tea.

With the increased consumption of pearl tea come worries about weight gain.

According to a CNA report, a study by Taipei Medical University Hospital shows that a 0.7 liter glass of full-sugar pearl milk tea contains 393 calories, equal to the amount of calories in one and a half bowls of rice, with one bowl containing 280 calories.

Taipei Medical University Hospital nutritionist Chen Chiao-ming (陳巧明) said that drinking a 0.7l-liter glass of pearl milk tea a day for 20 days in a row could result in a weight gain of 1kg.

"To burn off a glass of pearl milk tea, with its nearly 400 calories, one would have to jog for at least one-and-a-half hours," Chen added. 

Other popular thirst-quenchers are also high in calories: one 0.7l -liter glass of "pudding milk tea" contains 325 calories, while a "black tea latte" contains 320 calories and a glass of green or black pearl tea contains 276 calories.

The study also suggests that drinks made from fruit juices do not necessarily lower the calorie intake, as drinking a 0.7l liter glass of papaya or avocado milk contains 295 and 296 calories respectively.

Chen went on to say that people who are fond of drinking iced beverages, but do not want to put on weight, should instead choose to drink low-calorie green or black tea and eat coconut flesh, which is rich in fiber.