While matcha green tea might be a fashionable superfood, boasting numerous qualities that could benefit your wellbeing, for some it can prove remarkably damaging, according to one woman who was recently admitted to hospital. Laura Mae turned to TikTok to share clips from her hospital bed where she was connected to a drip while battling iron deficiency. In footage that has become viral, racking up more than 10 million views, she revealed that her matcha intake is the “likely” culprit behind various symptoms that left her feeling unwell.
“When you realise the matcha you have been drinking every morning is likely the reason your hair is falling out,” she wrote in a caption. Laura Mae went on to detail her ordeal: “Matcha can block your body’s natural iron absorption, which can increase hair loss, brittle nails, and fatigue.”
In a follow-up video she revealed she previously “blamed everything” on her Crohn’s Disease. Nevertheless, after considering her fondness for matcha, everything suddenly “clicked”.
“Once I realised my daily matcha was making iron absorption even harder, it all clicked,” Laura Mae revealed. “Swapping my morning drink was the best change I’ve made.
“Gut health really is everything. Once I changed my morning routine, the symptoms finally started to make sense.”
After being discharged from hospital, Laura Mae shared with her followers: “Not every ‘healthy habit’ is healthy for everybody. For me, matcha was secretly making things worse, especially with absorption already being a struggle.”
She closed: “Once I swapped it out, I noticed the difference in my energy and mood almost immediately. I didn’t realise how much my daily matcha was holding me back until I swapped it for something my body actually thanked me for.”
Supporting Laura’s concerns, Verywell Health cautions that matcha contains tannins and other compounds that can hinder iron absorption. “Matcha is a type of powdered green tea well known for its high antioxidant content,” the organisation explains on their website.
“It also contains a unique combination of caffeine and L-theanine, a natural amino acid that has been shown to help with energy, stress, and focus, often making it a gentler alternative to coffee. [Tannins are] a type of polyphenol that can bind iron in the digestive tract, making it harder for the body to absorb. Because matcha is much more concentrated than regular green tea, it contains more of these polyphenols that will block your body from absorbing iron.”
Meanwhile, Matcha.com also advises: “According to research, matcha tea does contain compounds that may limit the absorption of iron in the bloodstream. If you are concerned about your iron levels and at risk of iron anemia, try to avoid drinking your matcha or green tea after or within an hour of an iron-rich meal or iron supplements.
“This is because the main healthful compounds found in matcha tea will bind to iron and cause both to lose their ability to be as readily absorbed.”
