When a 28-year-old woman got hooked on the matcha-drinking trend, she thought she had found herself the perfect alternative to drinking coffee.
But soon, her obsession with the green-colored drink took a toll on her health and sent her to the hospital.
“RIP to my matcha era,” she said on social media.
A 28-year-old woman’s obsession with matcha drinks sent her to the hospital
Image credits: corporatewellnessbff / Instagram
The Sydney woman, who goes by the name Laura Mae on TikTok, unassumingly hopped on the matcha trend after seeing it all over social media.
“I kept seeing it online, it’s super trendy, and it comes in all the different flavours,” she told news.com.au.
Image credits: Monika Borys / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
About three years ago, the young marketing professional said she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a lifelong inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation of the digestive tract.
The disease can cause digestive issues, due to which Laura avoids certain items, including coffee. But when matcha drinks popped up everywhere, she gave it a shot.
Laura was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, which makes her actively avoid certain foods
Image credits: corporatewellnessbff / TikTok
“I don’t drink coffee so it seemed like a good alternative to have something if I was going out in a social setting,” she told the outlet.
What started as a little treat soon turned into an obsession. But Laura had no idea that she was hampering her health by having a matcha drink every single day.
Image credits: corporatewellnessbff / TikTok
The Sydney woman first realized something was wrong when she had persistent headaches. Then, she started noticing her hair and nails becoming weak and brittle, while her skin would easily get bruised.
Her concerns took her to the hospital, and she realized she had become severely deficient in iron.
“Blood tests revealed I was severely iron deficient, my doctor said it was so low, I was almost anaemic,” she said.
The 28-year-old began noticing persistent headaches, while her hair and nails became brittle; her skin also started easily getting bruised
Image credits: corporatewellnessbff / TikTok
“I ended up needing an iron transfusion at the hospital, something I’ve only ever had once previously, before I was diagnosed with Crohn’s,” she added.
Laura explained that Crohn’s disease generally makes it hard for her body to absorb nutrients. And since she avoids meat, she relies on vegetables for iron, but the matcha drinks she was sipping on every day were hampering her body’s ability to absorb iron.
Image credits: corporatewellnessbff / TikTok
“With Crohn’s disease as a whole, it is harder for my body to absorb nutrients,” she told the outlet.
“So for me to get iron, I actually don’t eat a lot of meat because it is harder for me to digest, so I typically look at getting it from veggies such as spinach,” she said.
“Basically I was turning to plants for my iron nutrition, but the matcha was blocking it, resulting in a bad reaction on my body,” she added.
Laura explained that the matcha, along with the effects of Crohn’s disease, made it hard for her body to absorb iron
Image credits: corporatewellnessbff / TikTok
Experts confirmed that too much matcha can indeed affect the body’s iron-absorption.
It contains tannins (naturally occurring compounds found in food and beverages, including tea, coffee, wine, chocolate, nuts, and some fruits), which can restrict the body’s ability to absorb iron.
“Matcha contains tannins that bond to non-heme iron, which is the form of iron found in plants, and can in turn block your body’s ability to absorb the mineral,” nutritional therapist Farzanah Nasser previously told British Vogue. “Matcha also contains catechins, which are powerful antioxidants and can interfere with your iron intake.”
Image credits: corporatewellnessbff / Instagram
Although tannins are found in commonly consumed foods, it is significantly concentrated in matcha powder. One study found that one particular type of tannin called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) was 137 times higher in matcha than standard green tea.
“Matcha itself does not inherently cause iron-deficiency anemia. But it may have an impact on your body’s ability to efficiently absorb iron if it is consumed too close to a meal,” Kirbie Daily, MS, RD, assistant director of Olympic Nutrition at the University of Memphis, told Health.
Image credits: corporatewellnessbff / TikTok
Matcha, made from the green tea plant Camellia sinensis, could also offer benefits when consumed in moderation.
It is “full of polyphenols, which are plant chemicals that contain anti-inflammatory properties and help to increase good microbes, such as Bifidobacterium, in the gut,” Farzanah explained.
Matcha in moderation can also offer benefits as well, experts said
Moreover, it contains caffeine without the jitters or anxiety that coffee is known to come with.
“Matcha delivers a gentle boost without the jitters or crash you might get from coffee,” registered dietician Sapna Peruvemba told Health.
Regarding whether people with iron deficiency should avoid matcha, experts said they do not have to say “no” to the green powder altogether.
Image credits: corporatewellnessbff / TikTok
“Drinking matcha with or immediately after meals will have a stronger inhibitory effect on iron absorption than drinking it between meals,” Kirbie said. “I recommend giving yourself at least one to two hours in between your meals or iron supplementation, and having your matcha.”
Farzanah suggested including vitamin C-rich foods to “improve iron absorption from non-heme foods” and “include matcha between meals, and away from iron-rich plant-based meals.”
It is important to note that what might be a healthy amount for one person may be different for another. Moreover, the amount of matcha consumed and the type can also make a difference.
“Can’t stop won’t stop,” one commented online after Laura warned her TikTok audience
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