By Natalia Pastor Navarro
Matcha is at the forefront of a social media wellness craze, framing the drink as a healthy alternative to coffee. Its popularity has created a global shortage and rising prices. However, some influencers raise concerns about the “healthy” portrayal of matcha and warn their audience about the potential negative effects of the caffeine in matcha. Should we be switching over to matcha as our morning boost? Let’s think twice and look at the experimental evidence.
Matcha is derived from Camellia sinensis, the same plant that produces green tea. Matcha is green tea leaves stone-ground into a fine powder, whereas green tea is made by steeping the leaves. The powder has a higher concentration of caffeine and antioxidants, and a bolder umami taste (1).
Green tea contains notable levels of antioxidant catechins(2). The proponents of the health benefits of matcha hypothesize that if the antioxidants can protect reproductive cells from oxidative stress, they may protect sperm and egg cells, potentially increasing fertility among men and women (3). The health concerns regarding matcha focus potential detrimental effects on reproduction from caffeine. Neither of these hypotheses is currently supported by experimental evidence.
A population-based prospective cohort study of pregnant women conducted by the American Journal of Obstetricians and Gynecology found that the daily consumption of 200 milligrams or more of caffeine was associated with a greater risk of a miscarriage, while other epidemiological studies following pregnant women over time have found no association between caffeine and miscarriage (4,5). However, to err on the side of caution, medical expertscontinue to recommend that pregnant women should limit their caffeine consumption to less than 200 milligrams a day, which is equivalent to around 1 cup of coffee or 2.5 to 4 cups of matcha if using the standard 2 grams of matcha per cup (6,7).
Since the alleged fertility benefits and harms of matcha lack empirical evidence and are instead based solely on rationale, think twice about expecting matcha to provide a significant boost or harm to your fertility. The concerns about caffeine are based on inconsistent data and moderate matcha consumption falls within the recommended safety limits. Neither notable enthusiasm nor fear need be associated with matcha consumed in moderation.
Sources
- Kochman, J., Jakubczyk, K., Antoniewicz, J., Mruk, H., & Janda, K. (2020). Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: A Review. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 26(1), 85. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/10.3390/molecules26010085
- Khalesi, S., Sun, J., Buys, N. et al. Green tea catechins and blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Eur J Nutr 53, 1299–1311 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-014-0720-1
- Rahman, S. U., Huang, Y., Zhu, L., Feng, S., Khan, I. M., Wu, J., Li, Y., & Wang, X. (2018). Therapeutic Role of Green Tea Polyphenols in Improving Fertility: A Review. Nutrients, 10(7), 834. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/10.3390/nu10070834
- Weng, X., Odouli, R., & Li, D. K. (2008). Maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage: a prospective cohort study. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 198(3), 279.e1–279.e2798. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/10.1016/j.ajog.2007.10.803
- Caffeine and miscarriage risk. Epidemiology, 19 (1), 55-62. Savitz, D.A., Chan, R.L., Herring, A.H. & Hartmann, K.E. (2008).
- Caffeine while pregnant. American Pregnancy Association. (2026, April 20). https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy/caffeine-and-pregnancy/
- Hadjipateras, E. (n.d.). Caffeine in matcha: How much caffeine is in matcha green tea powder?. Matcha.com. https://matcha.com/blogs/news/matcha-caffeine