🩶 This week’s focus
Could your matcha ritual be affecting your iron levels?
✨ From me to you
I love matcha. And lately, it’s been having a moment. Especially when it comes to iron.
A recent article from HuffPost UK told the story of a woman whose daily matcha habit landed her in the hospital, hooked up to an IV drip of iron.
Iron infusions? From a little green latte? It sounds extreme for something that feels like a simple daily indulgence, and one that’s often framed as healthy.
Of course, stories like this are never straightforward. How did she even realize iron was the issue? Getting to that answer can be tricky, and the cause is rarely just one thing.
But it raises an interesting question: how does matcha have this kind of effect in the first place?
🔬 What the science says
Matcha delivers far more catechins
Matcha is made from powdered whole tea leaves, so you consume everything in the leaf instead of just what seeks out during brewing. That leads to a much higher dose of plant compounds like EGCG, a powerful antioxidant.
Catechin content: 18-36%, with especially high EGCG.
Brewed tea: lower because only part of the leaf ends up in the cup.
Matcha can delivery up to 137x more EGCG than some green teas.
Powder stays in the gut longer
Unlike brewed tea, matcha isn’t fully dissolved. It’s a fine powder that stays suspended and lingers longer in the stomach and intestines.
This extends the time catechins are in contact with dietary iron. Prolonged contact increases the chance they’ll bind to that iron.
Catechins can lock up iron
Catechins, especially EGCG, attach to iron, forming stable complexes that the body can’t easily absorb.
Because matcha delivers a higher catechin load and keeps it in the gut longer, it can block more iron than regular brewed tea.
🪄 Put it into practice
If matcha is part of your routine, these small changes can help protect your iron:
🥄 Use less powder. More matcha = more catechins = more iron binding. Try 1 tsp instead of 2–3.
💧 Dilute your drink. A lighter preparation delivers fewer catechins per cup.
⏳ Limit how often you drink it. Multiple servings stack the effect since the powder lingers in the gut.
✨ One to remember
The groundwork of all happiness is health.
🌿 More to explore
I still love matcha.
I’m not one to give up my little indulgences easily. And the good news is that I don’t have to.
Like so many things, it’s wonderful in moderation.
Knowing what’s in my cup lets me enjoy it on my terms, keeping the benefits and minimizing the harms.
P.S.
👭 Forward this to a friend who’s a matcha fiend.