While matcha green tea may be a trendy superfood that possesses a number of qualities that can prove beneficial to your health, for others it can actually be significantly harmful, according to one recently hospitalised woman. Laura Mae took to TikTok shared footage from her hospital bed where she was hooked up to a drip suffering from iron deficiency.

In a video that has gone viral amassing more than 10 million views, she explained that her matcha consumption is the "likely" cause of a variety of symptoms that made her unwell. "When you realise the matcha you have been drinking every morning is likely the reason your hair is falling out," she wrote in a caption.

Laura Mae continued to describe her struggle: "Matcha can block your body's natural iron absorption, which can increase hair loss, brittle nails, and fatigue."

• Dementia sign that appears in your bank account - 5 years before diagnosis


• Doctors' simple 'string test' to see how healthy you are

In a follow-up video, meanwhile, she explained that she used to "blame everything" on her Crohn's Disease. However, after taking her taste for matcha into account, suddenly everything "clicked".

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

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

After being released from hospital, Laura Mae told 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."

Backing up Laura's concerns, Verywell Health warns that matcha contains tannins and other compounds that can block iron absorption.

"Matcha is a type of powdered green tea well known for its high antioxidant content," the organisation explains 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 advises: "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."