- Italia
- Slovenija
- English

Can Matcha Be Harmful? How Much Is Too Much, and How Should You Drink It?

“I'm already drinking my third matcha today. You know, my doctor told me I should stop drinking coffee, so now I drink matcha instead. After all, it's green tea, so it must be fine.” Hmm... But is that really true?

What Exactly Is Matcha?

Matcha is finely ground green tea made from the Camellia sinensis plant. With regular green tea, the leaves are steeped in water and then removed, whereas with matcha, we consume the ground tea leaf itself.

Matcha is made from leaves intended for the production of tencha. The tea plants are shaded before harvesting, after which the leaves are steamed, dried, and ground into a very fine green powder. [1]
Although matcha is now primarily associated with Japan, drinking powdered tea has its roots in China. This method of preparation reached Japan centuries ago, where it continued to develop and became an important part of Japanese tea culture. [2]

For us, one difference is particularly important: with matcha, we consume the entire ground tea leaf and therefore its components as well, including caffeine, L-theanine, and polyphenols or catechins, the best known of which is EGCG. [3]

Today, matcha has almost gained the status of a "healthy coffee". We drink it with milk, over ice, with vanilla, strawberries, and in all kinds of matcha latte variations. Because it is green tea, it is easy to assume that it is something completely different from coffee and that the amount we drink does not matter quite as much.

Matcha contains caffeine. And although it also contains a number of interesting bioactive compounds, "healthy" does not mean "unlimited".

Is Matcha Healthier Than Coffee?

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

One of the interesting things about matcha is the combination of caffeine and L-theanine. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, increases alertness, and reduces feelings of fatigue. L-theanine, on the other hand, is an amino acid found primarily in tea.

A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that L-theanine combined with caffeine may affect certain aspects of attention, reaction time, and mood. However, the results are not entirely consistent. So we cannot confirm the idea that matcha provides some kind of special "clean energy". But the combination of caffeine and L-theanine may help explain why some people experience it differently from coffee. [4]

Matcha also contains catechins and other plant compounds with antioxidant properties. [3]

How Much Matcha Is Too Much?

Health organizations do not set an upper limit in terms of the number of cups of matcha. Instead, they provide guidance on total daily caffeine intake.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) states that, for healthy adults, single doses of caffeine up to 200 mg and a total daily intake of up to 400 mg generally do not raise safety concerns. The U.S. FDA gives a similar limit for most healthy adults. [5,6]

But keep in mind: 400 mg is not a recommendation.

It mainly means that, for most healthy adults, amounts up to this level generally do not raise safety concerns. There is no need to get close to 400 mg every day.

So how much caffeine is actually in one matcha?
Studies have measured approximately 18.9–44.4 mg of caffeine per gram of matcha powder, although the amount varies depending on the product, variety, and cultivation method. [3]

If you use around 2 grams of matcha for one drink, that works out to roughly 38–89 mg of caffeine. And suddenly, that third matcha of the day takes on a slightly different meaning.

Amount based on 2 g of matcha per serving	Approximate amount of caffeine
1 matcha	38–89 mg
2 matchas	76–178 mg
3 matchas	113–266 mg
4 matchas	151–355 mg

This is an approximate calculation based on a range of 18.9–44.4 mg of caffeine per gram of matcha. The actual amount depends on the product and the amount of powder used. [3]

So, if you drink three matchas, you could consume more than 250 mg of caffeine from matcha alone. Add coffee, regular tea, cola, energy drinks, or other sources of caffeine, and the amounts add up.

Is Cold or Iced Matcha Harmful?

You may come across claims online that matcha should only be consumed warm and that drinking it cold or iced may even be harmful.

There is no good scientific evidence to support this claim.

With regular green tea, water temperature and steeping time affect the amount of compounds extracted from the leaves into the water. With matcha, however, the leaves are not removed after preparation – we consume the ground tea leaf itself.

Traditional Japanese preparation does use warm water. Japanese sources recommend approximately 2 g of matcha and water at around 80 °C. [7] Boiling water is not necessary and can mainly affect the taste, making matcha more bitter and astringent.

But this does not mean that drinking iced matcha is harmful.

If you enjoy iced matcha, there is no scientific reason to switch to warm matcha simply because of the temperature.

A practical way to prepare iced matcha is to first mix the powder thoroughly with a small amount of water, then add cold water or milk and ice. What matters more than the temperature is how much matcha you use and what you add to it.

A large matcha latte with plenty of syrup or sugar is nutritionally quite different from matcha prepared with water or unsweetened milk.

What About Pregnancy, Trying to Conceive, and IVF?

Matcha is not automatically off-limits during pregnancy, but its caffeine content needs to be taken into account. Both EFSA and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend limiting caffeine intake during pregnancy to no more than 200 mg per day from all sources. [5,8]

If you are trying to conceive or undergoing IVF, it is also worth paying closer attention to your total caffeine intake. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) states that high caffeine intake has been associated with less favorable reproductive outcomes, while moderate intake has not been clearly shown to have a negative effect on fertility. For women trying to conceive, they therefore advise minimal to moderate caffeine consumption. [9]

One matcha on its own does not tell you much. If you are trying to conceive or undergoing IVF, add up your caffeine intake from the entire day and check your clinic’s recommendations as well.