Lynn Shazeen, a 28-year-old nurse, was left suffering from heart palpitations and fatigue after adding incredibly popular matcha drinks into her daily diet
A woman said her matcha habit landed her in hospital on an IV drip after suffering from fatigue, heart palpitations, and feeling cold.
Lynn Shazeen, 28, started drinking matcha six months ago and had it at least once a week. However, after three months she began to notice unusual symptoms. After a trip to the hospital, she found out that her iron levels had nearly halved.
Lynn, a nurse near Washington D.C., said: “It was the only change I had made to my diet and daily routine. Myself and my doctor worked through every possibility but it became clear that the matcha was the cause.”
She was put on a detox IV and prescribed iron supplements to restore her levels. She is anaemic, a condition where the blood doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen, so has had low iron before.
Lynn explained she started drinking matcha, which has seen a popularity boom over the past year, as a way to introduce more anti-inflammatory elements into her diet.
She said: “I had been dealing with some inflammation so my doctor had suggested that I adjust my diet. Matcha, and green tea in general, is known for its anti-inflammatory properties so I decided to start drinking one once a week or so.”
Despite feeling “a lot colder and more tired than usual”, Lynn had “no idea” what it was until she got the tests done. She said: “As soon as I saw that my iron levels had dropped from 23 to 13, I knew immediately that it was the matcha that had caused it.”
According to research supported by the National Institutes of Health, green tea, including matcha, can interfere with the body’s absorption of iron from food.
Lynn said: “It was a bit worrying, but as a health professional, I stayed calm. Since getting the IV, I’ve stopped drinking matcha and now only drink regular tea. I also take iron pills and vitamin C tablets to bring my levels back up.”
Matcha is a powdered form of green tea, made from the youngest tea leaves. The leaves are steamed, dried and ground down into the powder and the drink comes with a grassy, umami taste.
It has become increasingly popular in the past year, with cafes offering items like matcha lattes, milkshakes and frappucinos. You may also have spotted matcha donuts, matcha cookies, and matcha pancakes, as companies hop on the trend which originated in East Asia.
While matcha has been praised for its antioxidant properties, Harvard Health explained that “more research needs to be done in humans to support claims that have been made about matcha regarding improved cardiovascular health … and other health benefits”.
Harvard Health also said antioxidants are sensitive to heat, and as matcha is often prepared with hot water or baked into food products, this could mean there is a reduced antioxidant effect.