Isabella Wilson, 19, from Bolton, developed what she calls a "matcha addiction," consuming up to four cups a day and spending £2,000 in a single year. The habit led to severe daily migraines, nausea, vomiting, acne and a two-stone weight gain before she finally cut back.
A habit that spiralled quickly
Wilson first tried matcha in 2024 and it quickly became her favourite drink. What began as a couple of matchas a week escalated into an addiction, with Wilson drinking up to four a day. As a retail assistant who later worked as a matcha barista, she consumed up to 400mg of caffeine daily—the equivalent of five Redbulls.
At times, she struggled to focus because matcha was constantly on her mind. She even ordered discounted bags of matcha powder from a questionable seller on Vinted to ensure a steady supply at home.
Physical toll and turning point
Her year-long habit left her with severe daily migraines, nausea, vomiting, acne and weight gain. In January, she reduced her intake to two matchas a week and noticed her symptoms improved within days.
Wilson said: "I remember I tried my friend's matcha and thought, 'it's not that bad' - so I started having a few a week. Suddenly, it was multiple matchas a day. I even ended up working in a coffee shop making matcha drinks, and I got free drinks on shift - so I was drinking matcha working there all day, and then drinking more when I got home. It got to the point it was quite scary - it occupied my thoughts completely."
She added: "It clicked when I saw a video about someone being hospitalised from matcha. I thought it was just a sickness bug and migraines."
Cost and recovery
Wilson tried to manage costs by setting up a specific matcha money pot in her bank account, but it became increasingly difficult. She bought £10 matcha bags from Tesco and sourced additional supply from a Vinted seller whose parents had bought her matcha she didn't like.
Since March, Wilson has cut down to just two matchas a week. Her skin cleared, headaches and brain fog lifted, nausea subsided, and she began losing weight. She experienced withdrawals but now only drinks matcha occasionally, has started going to the gym and follows a proper diet.
She said: "People really don't talk about it enough, they think this is a magical drink that will fix them. It's this cutesy, clean girl drink that tastes nice, and a lot of people don't even know it comes with health factors."
