look news india
The time of pregnancy is very delicate and full of responsibility for every woman. During this period, even small eating habits have a direct impact on the development of the baby in the womb. Often, as soon as pregnancy is confirmed, women turn to ‘healthy’ options instead of tea and coffee to improve their lifestyle. Many times, pregnant women completely abandon traditional tea with milk and sugar and start drinking green tea, believing that it is herbal and completely safe. But is it really completely safe to drink green tea during pregnancy? According to gynecologists and pediatricians, even though green tea is rich in antioxidants, excessive or wrong consumption of it during pregnancy can have serious adverse effects on the development of the child.
People generally forget that green tea is not a ‘caffeine-free’ drink. A certain amount of caffeine is also present in it. Although green tea contains less caffeine than a cup of coffee or black tea, one cup (about 240 ml) of green tea contains 25 to 45 mg of caffeine. During pregnancy, a woman’s body is not able to metabolize caffeine fast enough, due to which this caffeine crosses the placenta and reaches the fetus directly. The fetus’s liver is not mature enough to digest caffeine, which can increase the baby’s heartbeat and increase the risk of miscarriage or premature birth.
An even bigger danger is regarding the absorption of folic acid. Folic Acid is the most important nutrient for the proper formation of the brain and spinal cord of the fetus in the first trimester. According to medical research, a powerful catechin called ‘epigallocatechin gallate’ (EGCG) is found in green tea. This element hinders the absorption of folic acid in the body. If a pregnant woman drinks excessive green tea in the first three months, she may suffer from folate deficiency in her body, which significantly increases the risk of congenital defects like ‘Neural Tube Defects’ in the newborn baby.
During pregnancy, the amount of blood in a woman’s body increases by about 50 percent, which requires iron in abundance. Tannins and polyphenols found in green tea bind with non-heme iron in food (iron obtained from plants and vegetarian foods).
When a woman drinks green tea immediately before or after a meal, the intestines are unable to absorb iron from the food. As a result, hemoglobin in the pregnant woman’s body can drop rapidly and she may become a victim of severe anemia (blood deficiency). Due to anemia, the mother suffers from constant weakness, dizziness and shortness of breath, while the baby may have low birth weight.
Gynecologists say that pregnant women do not need to completely avoid green tea, but it is mandatory to drink it within a strict limit and at the right time:
-
Strict rule of quantity: According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), one should not consume more than 200 mg of caffeine a day during pregnancy. If you drink green tea, then throughout the day 1 to maximum 2 small cups Only these are considered safe.
-
Do not drink immediately after meals: Never drink green tea with your main meal (lunch or dinner) or with iron and folic acid medicines. Consume it at least 1 to 2 hours after meals so that the absorption of nutrients is not affected.
-
Avoid in the evening: The caffeine present in green tea can cause insomnia and frequent urination at night, which disrupts the sleep required during pregnancy.
If you are looking for a warm and relaxing drink to satisfy your tea cravings during pregnancy, then you can choose these safe natural alternatives instead of green tea:
-
Ginger and Lemon Herbal Tea: It provides immediate relief from morning sickness and vomiting.
-
Peppermint Tea: Very helpful in soothing stomach gas, acidity and bloating.
-
Chamomile Tea (in limited quantities): It helps in getting good sleep by removing mental stress.
-
Lukewarm Lemon-Honey Water: Keeps the body hydrated and supplies Vitamin C.
Be sure to consult your doctor or dietitian before adding any new herbal drink or supplement to your daily routine during pregnancy, as every woman’s body and pregnancy situation are different.