While pregnant, you should limit your caffeine to lower the chance of negative effects of caffeine on pregnancy. Since tea is a caffeinated beverage, you should limit your intake, even while drinking best tea for pregnancy. Does the same rule apply for Boba while pregnant?
Boba or bubble tea is considered a safe tea for pregnancy, but it should be consumed in moderation. In this article on Hipregnancy, there is a complete guide regarding drinking Boba during pregnancy. To learn more about this tasty tea, keep reading to the end.
What is Boba?
Boba or bubble tea is a Taiwanese drink, made with sweetened tapioca pearls, fruits, and spices as flavorings, and milk tea. (Read more on milk tea during pregnancy). Although this tea comes from Taiwan, it is popular worldwide, particularly in the southwest and southeast of the US.
Let’s talk about the ingredients of Boba in detail.
It contains tapioca pearls, which are small spheres made from tapioca or cassava starch. Tapioca pearls are simmered in sugary syrup to be sweetened.
The other ingredient of boba is tea, which can be green, oolong, or black tea. There is a complete guide on black tea during pregnancy. Check it before including black tea in your diet while pregnant.
Milk is another ingredient used to make Boba while pregnant. It can be whole milk, coconut milk, condensed milk, or almond milk.
Boba is usually served cold, and it can be a refreshing drink, especially on summer days. Let’s continue to answer your questions regarding consumption of Boba when pregnant.
Read more: can pregnant women drink hibiscus tea
Is it safe to drink Boba while pregnant?
Generally speaking, pregnant ladies should be conscious of what they drink while pregnant, since caffeinated beverages can harm the baby. They recommended limit their caffeine intake up to 200 mg per day. For instance, women can have lemon tea during pregnancy or matcha tea while pregnant, but their caffeine intake should not exceed 200 mg.
Boba is safe to drink while pregnant, as long as it has less sugar, caffeine, and fat. Moreover, it should be made from pasteurized milk to make a healthy pregnancy drink. No matter you drink bubble tea pregnancy first trimester, 2nd trimester, or 3rd trimester, the moderation is a key at all stages.
While buying Boba while pregnant, opt for those with fruit flavor instead of boba with artificial color or flavor. If you have gestational diabetes, consult your doctor before drinking Bubble tea gestational diabetes. Your doctor might not be ok with adding this tea into your diet, due to its sugar content.
Drinking bubble tea pregnancy provides some health benefits; however, it may have potential risk that will be covered in the following parts.
Does Boba have caffeine?
Tea is one of the ingredients used to make Boba or bubble tea. Since all types of tea, no matter black, green, or oolong, contains caffeine, boba falls into the category of caffeinated beverages.
Pregnant ladies should a tea with lower levels of caffeine to enjoy boba while pregnant. If you drink a tea low in caffeine, you can reduce the chance of dehydration, fatigue, morning sickness, and pregnancy complications.
Hipregnnacy recommends you consult your doctor if you want to have boba or other types of tea like chamomile or peppermint tea during pregnancy. Your doctor can help you to choose the best food or drink to have while pregnant based on your circumstance.
Pros and cons of drinking Boba while pregnant
Dinking boba in moderation during pregnancy provides some health benefits. However, having it in excess can have some side effects. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of having boba while pregnant.
Pros
- Keeping the body hydrated
- Lowering the risk of cancer
- Reducing the chance of heart disease
- Protecting cells from damage
- Reducing inflammation
Cons
- Drinking Boba made with unpasteurized milk can put you at the risk of food poisoning while pregnant.
- Bubble tea which is high in sugar can lead to excessive weight gain.
- If you drink too much Boba while pregnant, you will be at risk of high blood pressure, dehydration, increased heart rate, etc.
- Moreover, drinking bubble tea in large quantities can change baby’s normal movement and sleep pattern.
Now, you know that Boba can be good or bad, depending on its ingredients and how much you have it during pregnancy.
Do you want to drink a type of which is particularly made for pregnant ladies? Check Traditional Medicinal Pregnancy Tea to choose the best tea for your pregnancy time.
Can I drink taro Boba while pregnant?
To answer this question, let’s see what taro is. Taro is a tropical root vegetable with starchy texture and sweet flavor. Since the raw taro can cause itchy mouse, it should never be consumed raw. Powder form of taro is used to make taro Boba and gives sweet taste to bubble tea.
Drinking taro Boba while pregnant is considered safe, as long as you have it in moderation. Since boba contains sugar, fat, and caffeine, high amount of it can put the overall health of the mother and the developing baby at risk. As a result, only drinking it in moderation is healthy for pregnant women.
How to make Boba/Bubble tea when pregnant?
Preparing Boba while pregnant is simple and easy for everyone. Just follow the instructions and enjoy your bubble tea.
Ingredients
- Black tea or green tea (opt for tea low in caffeine)
- Tapioca pearls
- 200 ml milk
- Honey to taste
Instructions
- First, in a glass of 350 ml water, prepare your tea.
- Then, add 200 ml milk to prepared tea. To make your tea tasty, add 1 tbsp of honey and mix it well.
- Cook tapioca peals for about five minutes and add it to your tea.
- Your boba is read to drink!
Note: Drinking bubble tea once or twice per month is ok, but more is not recommended.
Tips for drinking boba while pregnant
Although Boba is considered safe to drink in pregnancy, there are some points you should keep in mind while ordering boba or preparing it yourself, including;
- Opt for weakly brewed tea, which has lower levels of caffeine.
- Green tea is better than black tea, due to its low caffeine content.
- Only drink boba made with pasteurized milk or juice.
- Choose less sweetened Boba while pregnant.
- Boba with coconut gel or egg pudding is not recommended, due to their high sugar and calories.
All the above tips are general guideline needed to be followed to support a healthy pregnancy. To learn detailed tips on drinking bubble tea in pregnancy, talk to your doctor.
Conclusion
Having boba while pregnant is considered safe, as long as it is made with pasteurized milk, low caffeine tea, and heated or cooked additives/toppings. Moreover, this tea should be drunk in moderation to prevent potential risks, such as dehydration, fatigue, morning sickness, etc.
In this article on “hi pregnancy”, we answered most asked questions regarding drinking Boba while pregnant. Wish you enjoyed it and follow the instructions to have a healthy pregnancy.
If you have any other questions or ideas about bubble tea in pregnancy, do share with us via comment.
