Reader Inquiry: Hello, is black tea high in calories? I really love drinking black tea, but I’m worried that drinking too much might affect my weight. I currently drink about 2 to 3 cups a day, and I’m wondering if that’s too much. Some people say black tea is very high in calories, while others say it’s fine. Is black tea high in calories?
Chang Hsing Tea: Hello Ms. Lee. Black tea is very low in calories—so low that you can practically ignore them when drinking it. The black tea you are referring to is likely commercial bubble tea or bottled black tea from shops. Those types of black tea are indeed high in calories, but the calories don’t come from the tea leaves themselves; rather, they come from the added sugar, milk, creamer, and tapioca pearls used to flavor the tea. An ordinary sweetened milk tea can easily have over 200 calories, while a 700cc bubble milk tea can reach 500 to 600 calories. Quite shocking, isn’t it?
If you only drink unflavored, unsweetened black tea, you don’t need to worry about it being too high in calories. On the contrary, the caffeine in black tea can even help lower cholesterol, and the theaflavins can boost your metabolism. If you are worried about gaining weight from drinking beverages, it’s best to choose unsweetened black tea. Not only do you not have to worry about high calories, but it can also aid in weight loss. However, we still want to remind you that excessive consumption of any drink or food is not ideal, and black tea is no exception. While you don’t need to worry about excess calories, you should still avoid issues like caffeine overconsumption!
▲Black tea itself is low in calories, but adding sugar and milk can drive the calorie count up to 500 or 600 calories. Be mindful of your intake.
| Black Tea Guide | |||