Is Green tea safe during pregnancy?

Drinks

Counts towards the 200 mg caffeine limit

The NHS estimates a cup of green tea has about 75 mg of caffeine, towards its 200 mg daily limit; NIH NCCIH notes green tea is a source of caffeine.[1,2]

What official sources say

NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

  • Estimated amount of caffeine in common foods and drinks: A cup of tea, black or green, contains an estimated 75 mg of caffeine.[1]
  • Caffeine › Things to limit: Caffeine should be limited in pregnancy to no more than 200 mg a day.[1]

NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: green-tea

  • During pregnancy, caffeine intake should not exceed moderate levels. Green tea is a source of caffeine.[2]

Related general rules

NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

  • Too much caffeine has been linked to a higher chance of miscarriage and stillbirth.[1]

ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024

  • Too much coffee, tea or other caffeinated drinks harms the baby's growth, so caffeine should be kept to a minimum in pregnancy. (p. 18)[3]

FSANZ: Pregnancy and healthy eating

  • While consuming large amounts of caffeine does not appear to cause birth defects, it may make it more difficult to become pregnant. It may also increase the risk of miscarriage or having a baby with low birth weight.[4]

Sources

  1. NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy · nhs.uk. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). Not endorsed by the NHS.
  2. NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: green-tea · nccih.nih.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  3. ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 · nin.res.in. Printed page 18. Paraphrased and cited by printed page; the text is not reproduced.
  4. FSANZ: Pregnancy and healthy eating · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.

Sources checked 26 September 2026.

Quotes are checked word for word against each source page, and paraphrases against the original text. Official bodies are named as sources only: none of them reviewed or endorses this page.

Educational information, not medical advice. Your own doctor or midwife may advise differently for you — follow their advice.