Let's be honest: Too much of anything isn't good for us. It's all about the balance!
But the media and social media trends have taught us that certain things are really good for us, encouraging us to be like the "very mindful and very demure" girls and take care of ourselves. One such example is drinking more matcha, especially if you really like coffee or think you have a caffeine addiction.
But nurse and TikToker Lynn Shazeen is now warning people about not drinking too much matcha—or at least being mindful about how much of it you're drinking—after her "matcha obsession era" landed her in the hospital.
In a short teaser TikTok video, Shazeen showed herself sitting in a hospital room, getting bloodwork done and possibly receiving some kind of transfusion.
The voiceover on the video says:
"You're probably wondering how I ended up in this situation..."
The rest of the video was then a compilation of photos she'd taken, featuring her various matcha and matcha latte drinks she'd purchased at Starbucks.
The video also featured the text overlay:
"RIP to my matcha obsession era."
You can watch the video here:
Fellow TikTokers of course had a lot of questions, wondering what the connection was between Shazeen purchasing matcha lattes and ending up in a hospital room, since matcha is supposed to be a healthier option for us to drink and enjoy.
In a follow-up video, Shazeen explained that while matcha has a lot of positive health benefits, it also can block iron absorption, leading to mild to severe iron deficiencies.
Shazeen then showed a series of bloodwork panel results she'd received, revealing that her iron levels were incredibly low and that she was very anemic. Immediate iron transfusions had to be done to get her blood levels back up to a somewhat normal level, and she'll have to be monitored to make sure the issue does not persist.
What's really shocking about this is that Shazeen is not even the most frequent matcha drinker, citing that she only drinks it once or twice per month.
The most avid matcha lovers among us need not despair, however. Because matcha blocks absorption, the best time to drink it is two hours before or after you plan to eat, so your body has time to absorb nutrients properly while also enjoying the matcha. Matcha also shouldn't be the very first thing that you consume in the morning, because it can lead to an upset stomach and cause other problems.
Some key symptoms to watch out for if you're concerned about an iron deficiency or anemia are shortness of breath, heart palpitations, irritability, and low energy.
You can watch the follow-up video here:
Fellow TikTokers were a mix of shocked and thankful for the information.
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
Though this doesn't mean that matcha is yet another thing that we all have to cut out of our diets, it's an important reminder that there is such a thing as "too much of a good thing," even when it comes to matcha.
Fortunately for matcha lovers, they can still enjoy the taste and its health benefits, as long as they are mindful of the optimal times to drink it throughout the day.
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