Is Matcha Safe For Pregnancy? When I’m Pregnant, Can I Drink Matcha?
On September 23, 2022 by Lucky WongPregnant women are thought to be safe drinking green tea, including matcha. Antioxidant benefits from their anti-inflammatory properties come with risks, though. Fortunately, the risk of inhibiting the absorption of folate and iron can be easily made up for with supplements or a more moderate tea consumption.
To learn more about the advantages and possible risks of drinking matcha tea while pregnant, continue reading.
Whether matcha green tea would have any negative effects on pregnancy is a frequently asked question. Caffeine consumption, which in a typical cup of coffee can range from 70 mg to over 125 mg, is the source of the problem. This number increases even further if you choose to drink espresso. The issue is that so much caffeine is consumed in America today—coffee, colas, and a variety of other foods all contain caffeine. Caffeine consumption can easily get out of control if not carefully monitored. Fortunately, matcha caffeine is a very different kind of alkaline caffeine, and consuming matcha green tea lattes on a regular basis can help the body maintain its alkalinity requirements while pregnant.
It’s always a good idea to consult your doctor before using any new products, including matcha. Additionally, it is advised to limit the consumption of any stimulating beverages during your first trimester. As a result, you should ideally avoid drinking any caffeinated beverages during the first few months of pregnancy, even matcha lattes.
A pregnant woman shouldn’t consume more caffeine than 300 mg per day, according to some medical experts. Others advise limiting your caffeine intake to no more than 200 mg daily.
We must first realize that matcha caffeine is not the same as coffee caffeine. Additionally, as we have noted on the site, Matcha caffeine is distinctively different in that the amino acid L-Theanine interacts favorably with the caffeine. Theanine enhances not only brain function but also how the body distributes and absorbs the alkaline caffeine in matcha.
Although the caffeine in matcha differs from that in coffee, it is still advisable to limit your consumption of matcha lattes and all other caffeine-containing beverages while you are pregnant.
Can You Drink Matcha While Pregnant?
For expectant mothers, matcha tea may be safe. A few nutrients may be blocked. However, you should be safe throughout your pregnancy as long as you are taking vitamins and drinking tea in moderation.
Matcha and other popular green teas come from the Camellia sinensis leaf. Despite numerous studies examining the effects of tea consumption during pregnancy and nursing, they are still regarded as safe to consume during pregnancy (source: Scientific Reports).
Matcha has a higher concentration of compounds due to the processing method used. Both positive and negative effects are more prevalent with these molecules. Therefore, it has a few issues that mothers who enjoy drinking green tea might take into account.
If you and your doctor decide that taking supplements is appropriate, you can address these nutritional problems. Iron, folate, and caffeine content are the main risks examined.
An antioxidant found in green tea called catechin interacts with folate. Your body may not be able to absorb folate if you consume catechin (source: Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology).
The suspicion stems from numerous studies that showed that women who drink the most tea typically have lower folic acid levels than non-tea drinkers or even those who drink tea at moderate levels. According to one study, drinking four cups of matcha green tea a day was enough to have negative effects.
You need more folate, especially during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Spina bifida, which occurs when the baby doesn’t develop the membrane that protects the spinal cord, is more common in this stage and is associated with low folate levels.
Scientists are unsure of the exact amount of folate required to prevent catechin blocking beyond what the mother requires, but the majority of studies indicate that consuming more than 400 μg per day will reduce the risk of spinal defects.
Women who already have low folate levels may not see a risk reduction from drinking green tea, and those who already have levels well above 400 μg may continue to do so. Women with borderline levels may be at greater risk from tea.
Iron is a different conceivable nutrient concern. As much as 25% of iron absorption can be blocked by the tannins in matcha green tea. According to the same study, drinking no more than three cups of tea each day is secure. Iron absorption was also aided by drinking shortly before meals (source: Pennsylvania State University).
For mothers who drink matcha tea, caffeine content is yet another factor in their health. Because the entire leaf is processed into a dense powder, matcha contains more caffeine than the majority of other green teas (source: HSN Blog).
Caffeine can cross the placenta, amniotic fluid, and umbilical cord, potentially affecting the unborn child (source: PLOS ONE).
How Much Of A Matcha Restriction Should A Pregnant Woman Impose On Her Daily Intake?
Glad you Asked!
One gram of matcha contains 34mg of caffeine, which is less than an average cup of coffee, so consumption doesn’t necessarily need to be severely limited. In most cases, 1 gram is equal to ½ teaspoon, and 2 grams is equal to 1 teaspoon. Therefore, how strongly you drink your Matcha green tea latte will determine whether you get 34 mg or 68 mg of caffeine. Once again, bear in mind that the “caffeine” will be utilized over a 3 to 6 hour time span, so you are not dealing with the “typical” caffeine issue that is found with colas, coffee and other caffeinated beverages.
We would advise limiting your consumption of Matcha green tea while pregnant to 2 cups per day, just to be safe and to account for other foods or beverages you may consume throughout the day that contain caffeine.
Will matcha have an impact on me if I’m a pregnant mother with high blood pressure?
Numerous studies have shown that drinking green tea helps to relax the arterial walls and lower blood pressure, making matcha a natural blood thinner. Therefore, matcha is fantastic for people who want to lower their blood pressure naturally without using medication.
Do our flavored Matcha blends fall under the scope of all of this?
Yes, plus you will get the fabulous benefits of the spices and the coconut nectar/sugar, widely touted as a “wonder sugar” because of the many health benefits of matcha green tea.
During Pregnancy, How Much Matcha Is Safe To Consume?
Up to three cups of matcha can be consumed while expecting in moderation. The three cups are meant to check that you aren’t consuming excessive amounts of caffeine or blocking too many essential nutrients.
Like the studies mentioned in the preceding section, matcha is regarded as safe in moderate amounts. Less than four cups per day are what scientists consider to be moderate amounts. Based on the amount of caffeine, iron interference, and folate that matcha contains, scientists came up with that figure.
You should be aware that matcha contains more caffeine than most beverages. In contrast, matcha contains roughly 18.9 to 44.4 mg of caffeine for every gram of tea. While coffee contains 10 to 12 mg of caffeine per gram, other green teas range from 11 to 25 mg (source: Molecules).
The most common piece of medical advice for expectant mothers is to keep daily caffeine intake to 200 mg (0.007 oz). The recommendation based on the absorption of folate and iron does not apply to this limit, which permits more cups of tea per day (source: Nutrients).
Other supporters of this advice include the:
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- Mayo Clinic
- Britain’s National Health Service
Can Pregnant Women Drink Matcha? Are There Benefits?
Green tea has many advantages despite a few drawbacks. Antioxidants help reduce the inflammatory conditions that pregnant women are susceptible to, and they have also generally shown promise in preventing conditions like coronary artery disease, some cancers, stroke, and bone loss. Matcha has polyphenolic compounds, just like other types of green tea.
The properties of this class of molecules are similar to those of antioxidants. One known drawback of catechins, one of these substances, is that it prevents the absorption of folate (source: Scientific Reports).
Therefore, even the tea’s drawbacks have advantages. Moderation is key to healthy consumption.
Matcha Powders, Lattes, And Other Products During Pregnancy
Consider other matcha tea consumption options while keeping in mind the proportions of a typical cup of tea. Since matcha is frequently sold as a dark green powder, it is simple to adjust doses to suit personal preferences.
If you enjoy adding a lot of matcha powder, you might want to compare how much you add to the typical amount in a cup and how the total of all your tea products per day works out.
Conclusion
We hope that this information on the risks and benefits of matcha green tea will help you decide what is right for you and what you should talk about with your doctor.
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