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  "path": "/lifestyle/fatty-liver-disease-drinks-risk-bubble-tea",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-02T11:15:56.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Fatty liver disease: What subtle hints your body could be sending you 'below the right ribs'",
    "'",
    "I kept waking up at the same time every night - then I was diagnosed with an enlarged liver'",
    "Fatty liver disease breakthrough as scientists uncover key cause that may be driving epidemic in Britain",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nWalk down any British high street and you will spot bubble tea shops popping up almost as frequently as your favourite coffee chains.\n\nThe Taiwanese drink, with its vibrant colours and distinctive chewy tapioca pearls, has become an absolute sensation since arriving from Asia in the 1980s.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nBut beneath the drink's obvious appeal, growing evidence suggests it might be hiding concerning health risks that most fans have no idea about.\n\nA Consumer Reports investigation discovered raised lead levels in certain bubble tea products, which makes sense when you consider that cassava plants – the source of tapioca starch – naturally soak up heavy metals from the ground.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe pearls can also wreak havoc on your digestive system, as their dense, starchy nature means eating too many can slow down how quickly your stomach empties, potentially causing nausea, vomiting and tummy pain.\n\nIn extreme cases, they can cause complete blockages.\n\nThere is also the choking risk, which paediatricians have warned about for years. It is not just little ones at risk, either – reports from Singapore described a 19-year-old who tragically died after inhaling three pearls through a blocked straw.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nA striking case from Taiwan in 2023 also exposed risks for the kidneys, after surgeons removed over 300 kidney stones from a 20-year-old woman who had apparently been choosing bubble tea over water.\n\nIngredients like oxalate and high phosphate levels in the drink can encourage stone formation, though this particular case involved exceptionally heavy consumption.\n\nAnd let's talk about sugar – because the numbers are genuinely eye-opening.\n\nA standard bubble tea can pack anywhere from 20 to 50 grams of sugar, which actually matches or beats a can of Coca-Cola at 35 grams.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * Fatty liver disease: What subtle hints your body could be sending you 'below the right ribs'\n  * 'I kept waking up at the same time every night - then I was diagnosed with an enlarged liver'\n  * Fatty liver disease breakthrough as scientists uncover key cause that may be driving epidemic in Britain\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTaiwanese research found that children who regularly enjoyed the drink were 1.7 times more likely to develop cavities by age nine.\n\nThe long-term consequences include heightened risks of type 2 diabetes, obesity and fatty liver disease.\n\nPerhaps the most unexpected findings involve mental health. Studies examining children in China who frequently consumed bubble tea found elevated rates of anxiety and depression.\n\nResearch with Chinese nurses showed similar patterns in adults, linking regular consumption to anxiety, depression, fatigue and reduced well-being – even after accounting for other factors.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nDoctors have also noticed something rather peculiar – tapioca pearls showing up on medical scans of patients admitted for completely unrelated issues.\n\nThe dense pearls can actually mimic kidney or gallstones on imaging, potentially complicating diagnoses, although this does not mean you need to swear off bubble tea forever.\n\nBut the evidence does suggest treating it as an occasional indulgence rather than a daily habit. And if you do fancy one, skipping the wide straw might reduce that choking risk.\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter **",
  "title": "From kidney stones to fatty liver disease: Hidden dangers found lurking in bubble tea"
}