Category Archives: Food and Drink

Women's Health

Does Matcha Cause Reproductive Harm?   

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 

  1. 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 
  1. 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 
  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 
  1. 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 
  1. Caffeine and miscarriage risk. Epidemiology, 19 (1), 55-62. Savitz, D.A., Chan, R.L., Herring, A.H. & Hartmann, K.E. (2008). 
  1. Caffeine while pregnant. American Pregnancy Association. (2026, April 20). https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy/caffeine-and-pregnancy/ 
  1. 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  
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Is eating raw eggs good for you, and can it help build muscle?

Recent social media trends have shown influencers consuming raw eggs, particularly after workouts. That has been popular at times over the years, and was featured in the original Rocky movie. It has returned and become a phenomenon to include raw eggs in protein shakes or smoothies. However, given the potential consequences of eating raw eggs, it is important to think twice about this issue. Is it good for you to eat raw eggs, and can it really help build muscle mass?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, it is not safe to consume raw eggs under any circumstance (1). Most eggs are pasteurized, meaning they are heated in a warm water bath to kill bacteria that could make you sick. However, even pasteurized eggs can still contain Salmonella, which can lead to diarrhea, cramps, or more serious illness. In a 2019 report by the European Food Safety Authority, eggs and egg products comprise 5.3% of all foodborne Salmonella outbreaks and are the foods most commonly associated with Salmonella (2). Therefore, physicians recommend eating eggs that are both pasteurized AND cooked.

Another reason physicians recommend not consuming raw eggs is that you can receive the same benefits from eating a cooked egg. One study compared muscle growth in 45 young men randomly assigned to consume 5 raw eggs or 5 hard boiled eggs after exercise (3). Between the two groups, researchers found no significant difference in muscle protein synthesis rates between young men who ate raw versus hard boiled eggs, suggesting that eating raw eggs did not offer an advantage for building muscle.

In this vein, another study showed that raw egg is more poorly absorbed during digestion than cooked egg, and cooking eggs can facilitate more complete digestion (4). However, this study investigated digestion of 5 participants, so more research is needed to conclude how raw versus cooked eggs are digested. Nevertheless, cooking is known to increase digestion of many foods.

Given this research, you don’t need to follow influencers by consuming raw eggs or put them in protein shakes to build muscle mass. A hard- boiled egg will do the trick! Remember to always Think Twice!

Sources

Cleveland Clinic. “Is Eating Raw Eggs Bad?” April 6, 2022. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-you-eat-raw-eggs

Oh, Hyemin et al. “Quantitative risk assessment of foodborne Salmonella illness by estimating cooking effect on eggs from retail markets.” Journal of animal science and technology vol. 65,5 (2023): 1024-1039. doi:10.5187/jast.2023.e18

Fuchs, Cas J et al. “Raw Eggs To Support Postexercise Recovery in Healthy Young Men: Did Rocky Get It Right or Wrong?.” The Journal of nutrition vol. 152,11 (2022): 2376-2386. doi:10.1093/jn/nxac174

Evenepoel P, Geypens B, Luypaerts A, Hiele M, Ghoos Y, Rutgeerts P. Digestibility of cooked and raw egg protein in humans as assessed by stable isotope techniques. J Nutr. 1998 Oct;128(10):1716-22. doi: 10.1093/jn/128.10.1716. PMID: 9772141.

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Can cranberry juice treat urinary tract infections?

Over Thanksgiving, we might indulge in cranberry sauce or cranberry juice as part of our holiday traditions. While some love cranberry products and others do not, are there benefits to consuming cranberries? Specifically, can cranberry juice prevent urinary tract infections?

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are bacterial infections that occur when bacteria enter the urethra (part of the urinary tract) from the skin or rectum (1). UTIs are often treated by a short course of antibiotics and will clear up within a few days of treatment (2). It is often stated that drinking cranberry juice can help prevent or clear up UTIs. Let’s think twice.

A 1998 systematic review found no randomized controlled trials of cranberry juice as treatment for UTIs (3), and we couldn’t find any done since. Cranberry juice is not a treatment for UTI.

In terms of prophylaxis, a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found a 54% lower rate of UTIs with cranberry juice consumption and a 49% lower rate with other liquids (4). Greater liquid intake is associated with fewer UTIs, but it’s not clear that cranberry juice is more effective than other liquids for prophylaxis.

One limitation of studies of the relationship between UTIs and cranberry is the use of a variety of cranberry products, for example, juice or capsules (5). Though you are likely not preventing a UTI, you can indulge in cranberry foods this season for the sake of holiday tradition.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Urinary Tract Infection Basics.” Jan. 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/uti/about/index.html

2. May Clinic. “Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).” Sep. 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353453

3. Jepson, R G et al. “Cranberries for treating urinary tract infections.” The Cochrane database of systematic reviews vol. 1998,2 (2000): CD001322. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001322

4. Moro, Christian et al. “Cranberry Juice, Cranberry Tablets, or Liquid Therapies for Urinary Tract Infection: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.” European Urology Focus, S2405-4569(24)00122-6. 18 Jul. 2024, doi:10.1016/j.euf.2024.07.002

5. R. Raz, B. Chazan, M. Dan, Cranberry Juice and Urinary Tract Infection, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 38, Issue 10, 15 May 2004, Pages 1413–1419, https://doi.org/10.1086/386328?