Lynn Shazeen from South Carolina shared how her matcha drink landed her in the hospital due to this one side effect. The tea has antioxidants, but there are high tannins in the tea compound too. They are proven to inhibit the body’s absorption of iron.
So, consuming the tea may lower your iron levels. These days desserts and other food items come with matcha feeding into Gen Z’s obsession. If you already have health issues, it may make it worse with symptoms like chills and weakness. Lynn used to have matcha once a week, and this was the only item she had added to her diet.
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She was advised to eat anti-inflammatory food, so she thought incorporating this super food for its health benefits would be a good idea. However, that did the opposite for her when her iron levels went from 23 to 13.
After the test reports, she stated, ‘As soon as I saw that my iron levels had dropped from 23 to 13, I knew immediately that the matcha had caused it.’ She discussed this with her doctor, and they narrowed it down to the green drink.
Anemic Girlies drinking their matcha & eating their overnight chia seed oats not realizing the matcha they’re drinking contains tannins that make it impossible for you to absorb plant-based iron (found in both oatmeal & chia seeds) if consumed within 2 hours of each other pic.twitter.com/D4laqIVVbF
— Mr. Flintstone🍆 (@sagistarbb) September 8, 2025
Lynn wanted to share this experience in a video titled “RIP to my matcha obsession era.” Lesson learnt. She talked about her obsession that led to weird changes in her body. She used to get cold and heart palpitations at times. The tea got her iron level almost halved in just six months.
Having it in moderation may not harm healthy people. However, those with already compromised iron may end up getting affected the most. In just six months, having one drink per week caused this South Carolina woman to feel more tired than usual. Eventually, she got tests done. The doctors put her on iron supplements and gave her a detox IV.
Can too much matcha be too much of a good thing? One TikToker thinks so — after her wellness habit took a surprising turn and a trip to the hospital. 🍵
Dr Libby Artingstall explains everything you need to know.#matcha #machalatte #wellness #healthhttps://t.co/eGnSCRApNE pic.twitter.com/J0eSbAzVUY
— indy100 (@indy100) September 2, 2025
It’s always best to be cautious when adding new healthy food and drinks to your diet. Sarah Martel, a dietician, stated that the tea does have high tannins, but not every matcha drink has the same amount.
People can dilute it with water and milk. She also added that a reduction in iron absorption in one meal cannot cause deficiency, and the side effects are less likely to occur with moderate consumption.
