If you’re a matcha fan like we are, you’ve probably seen some alarming headlines about everyone’s favorite brilliant green beverage: Can matcha lead to iron deficiencies? The answer is complicated, but it’s helpful to understand the science behind it.

Let’s start with the facts:

Matcha contains a number of naturally-occurring compounds that can work miracles for your metabolism, your immune health, and even your body’s natural aging processes. Polyphenols, vitamins and minerals, caffeine, antioxidants, and amino acids all contribute to the unique flavor profile and sustained energy boost that matcha fans love.

Matcha contains a specific type of polyphenol called tannins. Tannins are partly responsible for matcha’s characteristic bitterness and can also be found in coffee, red wine, dark chocolate, red beans, and some unripe fruits and berries. Tannins have been found to bind to iron in the digestive tract, making it harder for the body to absorb. Because matcha is a suspension of ground leaf material as opposed to an infusion like looseleaf tea, it contains more of these polyphenols and potentially more iron blocked from absorption.

There are two types of iron: heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron comes from meat, while non-heme iron comes from plant-based sources (think spinach, kale, tofu, and lentils). Tannins specifically block non-heme iron, which accounts for around 60% of all iron we absorb through our diet.

If any of the above has scared you away from matcha, here’s the good news: 

It’s important to consider the fact that no study to date has specifically studied matcha’s effect on the body’s ability to absorb non-heme iron. What we know about tannin’s effects on the absorption of non-heme iron comes from anecdotal evidence and our understanding that matcha contains tannins combined with our understanding that tannins may influence the absorption of non-heme iron. More research is needed to determine the specific relationship between matcha and the absorption of iron in the human body.

Matcha also contains a high Vitamin C content, which can actually help the body absorb iron. Aside from matcha, we eat lots of foods throughout the day that contain Vitamin C, not to mention multivitamins and supplements, which can help us make up for the vitamins and minerals missing from our diets and may counteract the absorption-blocking effects of tannins. If you do eat heme iron (meats like fish, poultry, beef, and pork), research shows that metabolizing heme iron can also help your body metabolize non-heme iron.

Furthermore, recent research has shown that the iron-blocking effects of tannins are most pronounced in uncooked plants. On the other hand, iron consumed in cooked foods has been shown not to be blocked or have issues with absorption. Unless you’re eating primarily raw veggies, you can rest assured that the tannins in matcha will have less of an effect on your non-heme iron intake.

Your body typically metabolizes the tannins in matcha within about an hour. If you’re worried about matcha affecting your iron levels, there’s no need to give it up for good! Just make sure you’re drinking matcha between meals and not drinking too much of it–excessive caffeine intake isn’t good for your cardiovascular health anyway.

If this still doesn’t convince you to stick with your daily matcha ritual, research recommends giving houjicha a try! Coffee research shows that tannin content is directly related to the level of roasting—dark roast coffee contains fewer tannins than lighter roast coffee. The same is true for houjicha—roasting reduces the amount of tannin in the tea, making it sweeter and less astringent than its bright green counterparts.

There’s a lot of misinformation about matcha while matcha continues to explode in popularity, but we’ve done the research to save you some time. If social media has threatened to scare you away from your daily matcha routine, remember our tips and Sip Soundly™️.