US Woman Reveals How Love For Matcha Made Her Sick: "Increased Fatigue, Itchiness"

A woman's love for matcha took an unexpected turn when her weekly habit landed her in the hospital, Newsweek reported. Lynn Shazeen, a nurse from Washington D.C., said that she started drinking matcha once a week after learning about its anti-inflammatory benefits. However, after three months, she began experiencing alarming symptoms like feeling cold and fatigue.

"I had increased fatigue, itchiness, and I was frequently cold," Shazeen said as quoted in the report. "I've always been one to track my health stats in my health planner, so the minute I had an increase in those symptoms, I knew it was time for a follow-up."

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Shazeen said that she consulted a health expert and got her blood tested. As per the report, the result showed that she had become severely anaemic. She already had the condition, but matcha apparently made it worse.

"Despite rounds of iron infusions previously, I was prescribed iron pills with vitamin C to this date," Shazeen said.

As per report, Shazeen said she hasn't had any matcha after her iron levels dropped significantly in July. She now prefers to drink tea instead.

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"I had knowledge of the effects, hence my discipline to drink once or twice a week, but it turns out even that was a lot. I can't imagine those who drink it every second of the day," Shazeen said. "My energy levels are picking back up and the itchiness subsided immensely."

She documented her experience in a video and shared it on TikTok (@lynnshazeen), which gained huge traction, receiving over six million views and more than 309,000 likes. With the help of the video, the woman wants to raise awareness.

What Is Anemia?

According to Mayo Clinic, anaemia is a problem of not having enough healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin to carry oxygen to the body's tissues. Someone with anaemia might experience tiredness, weakness and shortness of breath.

Matcha's Benefits And Risks

Matcha is packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. It is believed that matcha offers benefits like improved focus, energy and hormonal balance. However, moderation is key due to its caffeine content. Overconsumption might also interact with medications or health conditions.

Before consuming anything regularly, always consult a health expert, especially if you have health concerns or take medications.

What Did The Expert Say?

Dr Parth Bhavsar, who is a board-certified family medicine physician, told the media outlet that matcha can act as "an iron grabber" and prevent iron from entering the bloodstream.

"Matcha is a powdered green tea that contains polyphenols, which basically binds to iron in the intestines and blocks the absorption," Bhavsar said.

"More matcha consumed closer to mealtime results in less iron being absorbed. The easy way to fix this is to enjoy matcha between meals. You can also pair iron-rich plant foods with vitamin C, which can increase absorption and counteract the negative effects of matcha to some extent," Bhavsar continued.