Serious warning to matcha drinkers over link to worrying side effect
Topics: Food and Drink, Health, Vegan
Britt Jones
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image
Topics: Food and Drink, Health, Vegan
Despite matcha seemingly being the drink of the year, the risks to your health are now being revealed.
Recently, a woman claimed she'd been hit with a worrying side effect after ditching coffee and opting for the green tea drink instead.
The drink is made from Japanese green tea powder, and thanks to social media, it’s especially a favourite among Gen Z at the moment.
Matcha has even entered coffee shops across the UK, and you can buy the powder online to make your own matcha-infused drinks at home.
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The drink is supposed to provide health benefits, such as decreasing stress and anxiety, as well as enhancing cognitive function. And apparently, it can also help those who suffer from hormonal imbalance or PCOS.
But for one American woman, she claimed her 'matcha obsession' sent her to the hospital.
So, what’s the issue with the drink?
It turns out that Matcha can impact your ability to absorb essential iron.
While the powder is high in antioxidants, and is known as a superfood, it also contains polyphenols or 'super antioxidants' called catechins that impact your iron levels.
These catechins bind to some of the types of iron in our bodies when it passes through the gut, leading to less being absorbed into the bloodstream.
When this happens, it can lead to low iron levels and a reduction in the number of healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body.
According to Dr Magali Chohan, senior lecturer in nutrition at St Mary's University in London, matcha's antioxidant label has made it irresistible to people.
But she said to Sky News: "These compounds can also bind to non-heme iron, the type found in plant foods, making it harder for the body to absorb."
Low iron levels turn into iron deficiency anaemia, which can lead to symptoms like feeling tired, having trouble breathing, heart palpitations, headaches, dizziness and appearing pale.
But this might not happen to everyone who over-indulges in the drink every now and then. In fact, it’s mainly people who get iron from vegetables and not meat, like vegetarians and vegans.
However, those already low on iron should drink it at their own risk, as well as pregnant women, those on their periods, babies and people with anaemia, as per the doc.
If you’re worried about it taking away all of your iron, then don’t fear.
Dr Chohan says: "As with any trend, moderation is key."
This could mean drinking your matcha drink hours apart, spacing it out between iron supplements, and taking vitamin C will also help with non-heme iron absorption, she said.
"It is advisable to avoid drinking matcha alongside iron-rich meals or supplements and increasing iron absorption by pairing plant-based iron with vitamin C, such as a squeeze of lemon on a salad. If in doubt, consult your GP," she added.