43 Green Tea And Pregnancy

Green Tea and Pregnancy


Many people know and have heard about the healing properties of green tea, but what does that mean for a woman who is going through pregnancy? Perhaps you are a woman who has embraced the wonderful aspects of green tea in your “former life” but now you find that you are with child and can’t figure out whether or not you should continue with the green tea.

The main thing you need to think about when it comes to green tea and pregnancy is that green tea contains a large amount of caffeine. In general, consuming caffeine during a pregnancy is frowned upon whether it comes from green tea or a Dr. Pepper.

However, green tea has also been shown to have a number of healing properties that can not only help you relax but also help with anxiety (that is always present with pregnant women) as well as regularity and gestational diabetes (which is sometimes present with pregnant women).

So should you continue with your green tea diet during your pregnancy? We’re not medical doctors, but we’re hoping you have an OB/GYN, so ask him or her this question so there is no doubt that you are doing you and your child right by consuming green tea during your pregnancy.

Some doctors are concerned that green tea may affect the body's folic acid (also called folate) levels. Folic acid is an important nutrient during pregnancy. One study linked neural tube defects in babies, such as spina bifida, to women drinking a large amount of green tea at around the time of conception.

Spina bifida is a serious condition, which occurs when the tube around the central nervous system - the neural tube - fails to close completely. Neural tube defects such as spina bifida are usually associated with folic acid deficiency. However, spina bifida can be caused by many different reasons including family history, so don’t think that the sole reason for a birth defect such as this is caused by your consumption of green tea during pregnancy.

The data for this study is very weak so it is too soon to say that avoiding green tea during pregnancy will reduce the risk of neural tube defects, but more research is needed. That means that the studies are really inconclusive when it comes to green tea and pregnancy. You just need to use your common sense and talk with your doctor extensively before you start to do something that could potentially harm – or help – you and your child.