| Pregnant women would be wise to limit the amount of | | | | fine. Two studies, one by Danish scientists who |
| green tea they drink during pregnancy, and should be | | | | interviewed more than 88,000 pregnant women, and |
| careful about taking any green tea supplements. | | | | the other by the Yale University School of Medicine, |
| Green tea is rich in antioxidants, and has a host of | | | | had similar findings on caffeine during pregnancy. |
| health benefits relating to dental health, blood sugar | | | | The concerns over caffeine were that it would lead to |
| levels, cholesterol, and weight loss. But researchers | | | | low birth weight or miscarriage. And this is still true of a |
| have found, whilst examining the active constituent of | | | | very high daily intake of coffee. The Yale team found |
| green tea, the epigallocatechins, or EGCG for short, | | | | that drinking about 600mg of caffeine a day, which is |
| that it may affect the way the body uses folate. | | | | about 6 cups of coffee, would reduce birth weight to |
| Folate is important for pregnant women as it prevents | | | | levels that were clinically significant. The rate at which |
| neural tube birth defects in babies. | | | | birth weight was reduced was established at being 28 |
| The problem of green tea during pregnancy is that the | | | | grams per 100 mg, or 1 cup, of coffee per day. But |
| EGCG molecules are structurally similar to a | | | | they emphasized that this would not be significant for |
| compound called methotrexate. Methotrexate is able | | | | moderate caffeine consumption. |
| to kill cancer cells by chemically bonding with an | | | | The Danish study found that drinking 8 cups or more |
| enzyme in the body called enzyme dihydrofolate | | | | of coffee per day (this would be about 16 cups or |
| reductase (DHFR). Healthy people have this enzyme | | | | more of tea), would increase the chances of |
| also - it is part of what is called the folate pathway, | | | | miscarriage, or stillbirth, by 60% compared to women |
| which is the pathway, or steps, the body takes to | | | | who did not drink caffeine. They also found that |
| transform nutrients like folate into something that can | | | | moderate coffee or tea drinking did not pose |
| be used to support its normal functions. | | | | significant risks. For those drinking half a cup to 3 cups |
| But this chemical similarity means that the EGCG in | | | | of coffee a day, the risk of fetal death was 3% higher |
| green tea also binds with the enzyme DHFR, and | | | | compared to non-caffeine drinkers. And for those |
| when it does this, it inactivates this enzyme. When this | | | | drinking 4 to 7 cups of coffee a day, the risk increases |
| enzyme is inactivated, the ability of the body to use | | | | to 33%. One cup of coffee equals about 2 cups of |
| folate is going to be affected. How much green tea is | | | | tea when comparing caffeine levels. The |
| able to be consumed, or precisely how much folate | | | | recommended amount of coffee drunk is up to 3 cups |
| absorption is affected, is unclear. Though the research | | | | daily, or 6 cups of tea, by the UK food agency. |
| article did say that drinking 2 cups of green tea a day | | | | References: |
| can stop cancer cells (which is what methotrexate is | | | | 1. nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=58807 |
| targeting) from growing. | | | | 2. nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=24747 |
| The good news on caffeine drank during pregnancy, | | | | 3. foodnavigator.com/news/ng.asp? |
| from coffee and tea, is that a moderate amount is | | | | |