First off, congratulations on becoming a soon-to-be mum! This is popular question that gets asked – Can I drink matcha during pregnancy?

According to NZ Nutrition Foundation, it is advised to keep to a maximum of 200mg of caffeine or 2 cups of coffee. But keep in mind you might be consuming caffeine in other forms such as chocolate, energy drinks, coffee flavoured desserts, chewing gum, or green tea. There are concerns that high caffeine levels are linked to low birth weight and reduced fertility for those who are TTC.

So how does the caffeine levels in matcha compare to coffee?

As reported by the USDA, 1g of coffee has roughly 4mg of caffeine. With matcha, 1g approx. contains 32mg of caffeine. On paper, matcha looks more concentrated and that’s due to it being nutritionally dense. An average serving of matcha is between 1 – 2g which is 32mg – 64mg of caffeine per serve. Coffee on the other hand, if you consume on average 22g per espresso, which equates to 88mg of caffeine. If you drink 2 – 3 cups a day, that quickly adds up over the advised caffeine amount for pregnant women.

What are the nutritionals found in matcha?

Matcha is simply stoneground green tea leaves that is resulted in a fine powder. It contains a few vitamins and minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, B vitamins and folic acid. Folic acid/ Folate and Iron are needed nutrients during pregnancy. [1]

As everyone has different requirements over the course of their pregnancy, it is advised to seek the advice of your mid-wife, obstetrician or doctor if you can consume any caffeine. There are some medical professionals that advise against all forms of caffeine, particularly if you are at risk and there are some that say it okay to have a small amount of caffeine. You'll find that if they confirm you can have caffeine, green tea is also okay to consume. 

If in doubt, avoid caffeine! That means NO MATCHA ( 😞 ), no coffee (decaf included!) no chocolates, nothing delicious. It’ll be worth it to sacrifice 9 months for your piece of mind.

Personal note: We've had customers of ours go through pregnancy and they have given up on matcha just to be safe, so it is okay to say no! However, on my own journey spoken to my G.P and she's advise I could drink green tea, she has personally consumed caffeine during her pregnancy, however I decided to avoid all forms of caffeine. Each person is different and it is up to you to make that choice.

[1] Tea Guide, National Federation of Agriculture Cooperative Associations

“Chapter 2: Standard Value Tables, Beverages Chart”, STANDARD TABLES OF FOOD COMPOSITION IN JAPAN Fifth Revised and Enlarged Edition. Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. 2005