In recent years, milk tea has become more and more popular, and all kinds of Internet celebrity milk tea seem to have become a "life-sustaining happy water" for more and more young people.
However, what many people don't know is that although milk tea is delicious, the caffeine content in it may be higher than that of coffee, and drinking it is likely to cause insomnia.
How much caffeine is in milk tea?
How much caffeine is in a cup of milk tea? Some people may have seen this statement on the Internet:
- One cup of milk tea is equivalent to 7 cans of Red Bull;
- The caffeine content of one cup of milk tea is equal to 4 cups of coffee;
- If you drink the cup of milk tea with the most caffeine, it is equivalent to drinking 4 cups of coffee, or 8 cans of Red Bull;
- ……
Let's start with the conclusion: there is basically no problem with the above statement, the caffeine content in milk tea is indeed higher than that of coffee.
In 2017, the Shanghai Consumers Association conducted a spot check on milk tea, and the test results found that 51 milk tea varieties in 27 milk tea shops contained high amounts of caffeine. The average caffeine content per cup of all samples was 270 mg, with the highest being 480 mg, which is roughly equivalent to 4 cups of coffee, or 8 cans of Red Bull. Keep in mind that a cup of Americano (medium cup) contains only 108 mg of caffeine, and a can of Red Bull drink contains only 50 mg of caffeine.
In 2019, the Shenzhen Guangming District Consumer Council and the Shenzhen Food and Drug Safety Volunteer Service also tested 10 brands of bubble tea on the market, and found that all milk teas were found to contain caffeine, with an average content of 258 mg/kg. Of these, the highest caffeine content is 522 mg/kg, which is equivalent to the total amount of caffeine in 7 cans of Red Bull.
This is because milk tea is made of "milk + tea", and the tea contains caffeine.
The caffeine content per gram of tea is generally around 20 mg, and the highest can reach 40 mg. When making tea, caffeine easily dissolves from the tea leaves into the water. It's worth noting that a lot of the milk teas on the market are directly concentrated tea powders, so the caffeine content is usually higher.
According to the results of "Dietary Caffeine Intake and Risk Assessment of Chinese Residents", for adult consumers, the highest contribution rate of caffeine intake is tea, tea drinks, milk tea and coffee, while the highest contribution rate of caffeine intake of minors is milk tea, tea drinks, tea and chocolate.
That is to say, both adults and children, when drinking milk tea, they should pay attention to the intake of caffeine, and never think that there is no caffeine in it.
Why do some people wake up until dawn with a cup of milk tea?
Many people say that they will suffer from insomnia and poor sleep when they drink a cup of milk tea, and even wake up until dawn with a cup of milk tea.
This is because caffeine has a central nervous system stimulant effect, and many people will feel very excited after drinking it and can't sleep, and some people who are more sensitive to caffeine will even can't sleep all night with a cup of milk tea.
However, the refreshing and high-spiriting effects of caffeine vary greatly from person to person.
Because there are some genes in our body, such as CYP1A2, PDSS2, etc., that control the metabolism of caffeine. People who are more genetically active metabolize caffeine faster, and the caffeine ingested will be quickly cleared out of the body, so drinking a few cups of milk tea will not affect sleep at all, and even drink milk tea should be sleepy or sleepy.
However, some people's coffee metabolism genes are relatively weak, and a little caffeine has to be metabolized for a long time. Even the coffee I drank in the morning was still in my brain at night, and I woke up until dawn with a cup of milk tea.
Is caffeine in milk tea safe?
What everyone is most concerned about is whether the caffeine in milk tea is safe and whether it will be harmful to the human body.
Judging from the current research, it is safe for normal people to consume caffeine in moderation. Health authorities in the U.S. FDA, EU EFSA, Health Canada, and other countries believe that no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day is safe for healthy adults.
According to the results of the "Dietary Caffeine Intake Level and Risk Assessment of Chinese Residents", it is safe for adults to drink up to 1524g of liquid milk tea per day and not to consume other caffeinated foods. So, for normal people, one cup a day is completely no problem.
It is especially reminded that adolescents and pregnant women are more sensitive to caffeine, and they are generally not encouraged to consume caffeine. So, if you're a teenager, or you're pregnant or breastfeeding, try not to drink it.
In addition, some people may be sensitive to caffeine, and after drinking it, they will have insomnia, tremors, palpitation, insomnia and other symptoms, so it is best not to drink it first.
Can I drink milk tea with confidence?
There is usually no problem with the caffeine of a cup of milk tea, and friends who like to drink milk tea can rest assured.
However, in addition to milk tea, many foods/beverages in life also contain caffeine, such as cola, tea, coffee, certain energy drinks, and chocolate.
Moreover, everyone's tolerance to caffeine is different, some people are fine after drinking several cups of milk tea + coffee, but some people are uncomfortable after a few sips.
Therefore, it is recommended that everyone follow their feelings. If you experience insomnia, anxiety, palpitation, trembling, stomach upset, increased heart rate, headache, nausea and irritability after drinking milk tea, it means that you may have exceeded your caffeine tolerance and should make appropriate adjustments - drink less.
In addition, the biggest health problem with milk tea is too much sugar and fat. The fat content in a cup of milk tea can usually be as high as 40~70 grams, and the sugar content in a cup of bubble tea is between 30~60 grams.
Everyone must pay attention to controlling the amount of milk tea they drink, otherwise, they will only get fatter and fatter......
Source: People's Daily Science WeChat public account (ID: peoplekpzg)
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