Can drinking green tea increase risk of birth defects.?

6 responses so far ↓

• 1 A Person // Mar, 2008

  I don't think so I never heard of green tea increasing risk of birth defects.

• 2 flying_centaur // Mar, 2008

  Never heard of it. But just to be safe, consult your doctor before you consume large amounts of anything if you are pregnant.

• 3 Kandie B // Mar, 2008

  i drink a cup of hot tea almost everyday im 16 weeks and the doctor told me it was just fine

• 4 jh11375 // Mar, 2008

  never hear it

• 5 ok // Mar, 2008

  Yes, but it has caffeine, so only in moderation.

  Also, please read here to check on other types of teas:

  http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/pregnancynutrition/3537.html

• 6 mystic_eye_cda // Mar, 2008

  There is some suggestion that drinking green tea can effect the absorption of folic acid, not getting enough folic acid can increase the risk of birth defects.

  However a *reasonable* amount of green tea should be safe, particularly if you eat well and/or take folic acid. Though I wouldn't take any of those suppliments that contain green tea chemicals.

  "Women are advised to take supplements of folic acid when trying to conceive and during the first trimester (the first 3 months) of pregnancy because it is during this time period that the baby's neural tube is developing. Folic acid helps ensure normal development and protects against spina bifida by enabling the production of the enzyme DHFR. While a cup or two of green tea is unlikely to pose a problem, drinking large amounts of green tea could decrease the activity of DHFR, increasing risk of neural tube defects. "
  http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=146

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