Conception FAQ

Review: Red Bush Tea

Review of Red Bush Tea

by Katy (Katykin)

 

For anyone trying to cut out caffeine while pregnant, lactating or trying to conceive, red bush tea (also known as rooibos, red tea, African tea) from South Africa is an excellent alternative. It can be drunk with or without milk and sugar, and tastes similar to normal black tea. I’ve actually grown to prefer the taste.  It is good hot or iced!

Red bush tea is naturally caffeine free (unlike green tea), is low in tannins and full of antioxidants, vitamin C and minerals making it an ideal, safe drink for pregnancy, breastfeeding and pre-conception.

 

Women in Africa have been drinking this tea during pregnancy and breastfeeding for generations. In the UK red bush tea is becoming more widely available in supermarkets, health food stores and online.  Click here to see examples available from ConceptionFAQ.com! 

Why go caffeine free? It is recommended that caffeine intake is reduced or eliminated during pregnancy to reduce the risk of miscarriage. It is also thought that too much caffeine during pregnancy can lead to a reduced birth weight. During IVF many clinics suggest that caffeine intake is reduced to increase chances of success.

 

Tannins in tea may reduce the absorption of iron and calcium which is vital during early pregnancy, so the low tannin content of red bush makes it a perfect choice for mothers to be.

 

It is also said that red bush tea helps with nervous tension, insomnia, allergies and digestive problems.

 

A word of warning, make sure that you do not drink red bush tea which has been blended with any other herbs such as rosemary, as these may not be suitable for pregnancy.

 

 

http://www.rooibosltd.co.za/lifestyle/mothers.html

What about Green Tea?

According to the American Journal of Public Health, women who drink one and a half cups of green tea a day approximately DOUBLE their chances of conception.

Green tea is an easy thing to add to your "get pregnant" menu.  It tastes good, it has many general health benefits, and its low in caffeine (and you can get it caffeine free)!

There are varying results in research - some research suggests that ingredients (hypoxanthine and polyphenols) in green tea may make eggs more fertile, help with maturing of eggs, and may increase the percentage of viable embryos.  It is generally accepted that polyphenols are antioxidants - good for overall health.

There are even some who advocate green tea helps male fertility - possibly helping low sperm count and motility.

Of course, too much of anything is usually not a good thing.

Recent research by the John Innes Centre in Norwich and the University of Murcia (Spain), as published in the Journal of Cancer Research, confirmed that green tea could reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. However, their study also found that drinking high levels of green tea at the time of conception and during early pregnancy could increase the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly (a neural tube defect).

Green tea has been found to contain an active ingredient called EGCG, a naturally occurring polyphenol. It contains up to five times as much EGCG as black tea. This ingredient acts as an anti-folate. It reduces the activity of the enzyme that uses folic acid, thereby counteracting the beneficial effects of taking folic acid supplements. Evidence of this could be seen even at relatively low levels of consumption such as two or three cups of green tea per day.

Many of us are taking folic acid as part of our prenatals and some of us are taking folic acid above and beyond the prenatals.  It seems counter-productive to drink green tea, then, if it acts as an anti-folate.

This is one of those topics that you have to do your own research, talk to your doctor, and decide for yourself which side you want to err on.  Maybe moderation is key here - like with most other things in life!