Is green tea safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about green tea during pregnancy?

1. An 8 fl oz cup of green tea typically has 30 to 50 mg of caffeine, about a third to half of what's in the same amount of drip coffee. 1
2. What matters for pregnancy caffeine limits is your total for the whole day, not any single drink. 2
3. Concentrated green-tea extracts have been linked to rare cases of liver injury, and supplement forms deliver a much higher dose of catechins than a cup of brewed tea. 3
4. Very high doses of EGCG, a compound in green tea, may interfere with how the body processes folate in animal and lab studies, though this hasn't been shown to be a concern at normal tea-drinking amounts. 3

Is green tea safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. Your body's folate needs are highest early on, around when the neural tube closes. Very high amounts of green tea's catechin compounds have been raised as a theoretical concern for folate, so keep matcha and green-tea supplements low or skip them this trimester unless your provider says otherwise.
• Second trimester. The same 200 mg daily caffeine limit still applies. Green tea counts toward that total along with coffee and other caffeinated drinks.
• Third trimester. Same guidance continues. Keep an eye on your total caffeine, since your body clears it more slowly later in pregnancy.