Laura Mae took to TikTok to share footage from her hospital bed where she was hooked up to a drip suffering from iron deficiency – and she believes her morning drink is to blame

Alan Johnson Social News Reporter

15:31, 18 Nov 2025Updated 15:32, 18 Nov 2025

While matcha green tea is often hailed as a trendy superfood with numerous health benefits, it can actually be significantly harmful for some people, as one woman discovered when she found herself in hospital. Laura Mae shared her experience on TikTok from her hospital bed, where she was being treated for iron deficiency.

In a video that has since gone viral, amassing more than 10 million views, she attributed her ill health to her daily consumption of matcha. “When you realise the matcha you have been drinking every morning is likely the reason your hair is falling out,” she captioned the video.

Laura Mae went on to explain: “Matcha can block your body’s natural iron absorption, which can increase hair loss, brittle nails, and fatigue.”

In a subsequent video, she revealed that she used to attribute all her health issues to her Crohn’s Disease. However, once she considered her regular intake of matcha, everything started to make sense, reports the Mirror.

“Once I realised my daily matcha was making iron absorption even harder, it all clicked,” said Laura Mae. “Swapping my morning drink was the best change I’ve made.”

She added: “Gut health really is everything. Once I changed my morning routine, the symptoms finally started to make sense.”

Following her discharge from hospital, Laura Mae shared with her followers: “Not every ‘healthy habit’ is healthy for everybody. For me, matcha was secretly making things worse, especially with absorption already being a struggle.

“Once I swapped it out, I noticed the difference in my energy and mood almost immediately. I didn’t realise how much my daily matcha was holding me back until I swapped it for something my body actually thanked me for.”

Supporting Laura’s worries, Verywell Health cautions that matcha contains tannins and other compounds which can hinder iron absorption.

“Matcha is a type of powdered green tea well known for its high antioxidant content,” the organisation states online.

“It also contains a unique combination of caffeine and L-theanine, a natural amino acid that has been shown to help with energy, stress, and focus, often making it a gentler alternative to coffee.

“[Tannins are] a type of polyphenol that can bind iron in the digestive tract, making it harder for the body to absorb. Because matcha is much more concentrated than regular green tea, it contains more of these polyphenols that will block your body from absorbing iron.”

Meanwhile, Matcha.com also cautions: “According to research, matcha tea does contain compounds that may limit the absorption of iron in the bloodstream. If you are concerned about your iron levels and at risk of iron anemia, try to avoid drinking your matcha or green tea after or within an hour of an iron-rich meal or iron supplements.

“This is because the main healthful compounds found in matcha tea will bind to iron and cause both to lose their ability to be as readily absorbed.”