Thai milk teas and other drinks are notoriously sweet—what counts as ‘regular sweetness’ for many is already ‘overly sweet.’ On the 11th, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health formally launched a health reform, announcing that the “regular sweet” for drinks nationwide must have its sugar content halved, changing to “half sugar” based on the original recipes.
According to Thai media reports, this policy is more than just a suggestion; it’s a government-led collective action, in deep cooperation with nine well-known chain brands including Cafe Amazon, All Cafe, and Black Canyon.
The sugar level in hand-shaken Thai drinks far exceeds what the human body can handle—in the past, a 16-ounce (about 473 milliliters) iced coffee or Thai milk tea could easily contain 6 to 7 teaspoons of sugar. Authorities realized that instead of simply urging people to reduce sugar intake, it’s more effective to directly change the definition of “regular,” presetting “low sugar” to lower the unconscious calorie intake of the public, thereby countering the growing problems of obesity and chronic diseases.
Besides a flatter belly, there are 3 other major benefits
The Thai Ministry of Health stresses that cutting sugar doesn’t just help slim your waistline. When the body takes in less sugar, the skin becomes more elastic thanks to reduced glycation, which efficiently delays wrinkle formation and inflammatory reactions. In addition, a more stable blood sugar curve helps prevent sudden energy crashes, resulting in greater emotional stability. Most importantly, this change eases the metabolic burden on the liver and pancreas, fundamentally preventing fatty liver and diabetes.
Although the intention behind the policy is positive, for people long used to high sweetness, this “taste revolution” will undoubtedly be challenging at first. The Thai Ministry of Health offers this warm reminder: Human sweet receptors are renewed every two weeks. This means you may find the taste bland and flavorless at first, but as long as you persist for 14 days, your taste buds will regain their ability to appreciate natural ingredients.