'Herbal teas and grain teas said to be healthy have higher sugar content than coffee'

Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment

A survey found that the sugar content in herbal teas and grain teas sold at coffee shops is higher than that in coffee beverages.

The Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment collected samples of Ssanghwa-cha, ginger tea, jujube tea, and other herbal teas (herbal tea), as well as I-gok latte, toffee nut latte, and sweet potato latte (grain tea) sold at coffee shops in the province from May to September last year and measured their sugar content.

The survey results showed that the average sugar content per 100g was ▲herbal tea 16.823g ▲grain tea 11.877g. If drinking a 355mL serving of tea, the sugar content would be ▲herbal tea 59.722g ▲grain tea 40.935g, which is higher than the same volume of caf? latte (12.328g), caf? mocha (42.216g), and vanilla latte (35.141g).

In the case of herbal tea, natural sugars from the original medicinal herbs are also contained, but added sugars are sometimes included to mask the bitterness of the herbs. Additionally, grain teas contain lactose naturally present in milk, and the sugar content can increase further due to added powders or purees for flavor.

An official from the Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment stated, "Herbal teas and grain teas are distinctive Korean beverages and are often perceived as healthy drinks, leading to the misconception that they contain no sugar," and urged, "It is necessary to consider this when consuming them."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.