Is matcha green tea allowed during pregnancy?

Matcha tea may be particularly beneficial for the body, but drinking it during pregnancy deserves some extra attention. Green tea is often drunk by pregnant women precisely because of its positive properties, but the Dutch professional association of midwives advises against drinking green tea during pregnancy.

pregnancy Poyphenol – the active substance in green tea – appears to have a constricting effect on the Ductus Botelli, the extra blood vessel in an unborn baby. In a baby, this blood vessel ensures that blood goes from the heart to the immature lungs of an unborn baby. It also ensures that the blood flows directly into the large body artery. When the blood vessel closes prematurely, this leads to increased pressure in the lungs and a thickening of the heart muscle in the fetus.

Animal experiments show that the polyphenols in green tea, including matcha, have this constricting effect. Green tea inhibits the production of prostaglandins, which can cause constriction.

Although it is not certain that green tea is actually harmful - a glass of green tea a day is more than likely not harmful - it is still recommended to use green tea with caution, at least during the last 3 months of pregnancy. The risk of closing the Ductus Botelli mainly arises during this period.

Our scientific resources on matcha during pregnancy: