One of the most beautiful things about studying Nutrition is learning important information about things I am passionate about. Each day I go to class, I get to learn in-depth information about food and the body and how they work together. It is pretty fascinating. Last semester, my professor was discussing the way that tea 
affects iron absorption. As a dedicated tea drinker, my ears immediately perked up and I began listening to every word she said – in particular, that tea, especially black tea, inhibits the absorption of iron and should only be consumed in between meals to prevent this from happening. I trusted what my teacher was saying, because she is an expert on Nutrition, but I decided to do my own research and look at different scientific studies to support her statement.
From the plethora of studies I reviewed, I pretty much gathered the same information. Black tea and green tea can affect the absorption of iron. Most of the studies also mentioned that this is more important for those who already have an iron deficiency as it will diminish some of the iron they are consuming, and they need to absorb as much iron as possible.
As for me, I typically don’t drink tea during a meal. I naturally sip on tea in between meals. After gathering this knowledge, I am happy I don’t have to break a habit of drinking tea with my meals. I would suggest, however, for those who do choose to drink tea with their meal, please be cautious, as iron is very vital to our health and development.
Iron is a trace mineral that is an essential part of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen throughout the body and is important in regulating our body’s temperature. It also assists in brain function and development. Iron is one of the most common mineral deficiencies, so be aware of drinking tea with meals that have good sources of iron. Keep in mind that there are two different types of iron – heme and non-heme. Heme iron is absorbed more effectively than non-heme iron and is found in animal products, such as chicken liver, beef, and turkey. Non-heme iron is found in plants, including beans, vegetables, grains, and nuts.
If drinking tea while eating is a must for you, try pairing your tea with something that isn’t a good source of iron so you aren’t inhibiting the absorption. Your body will thank you!
Thanks for the information. I do have some observational issues that I feel should be mentioned. The Asians have been drinking tea with their meals for thousands of years and I’m not aware of them, culturally speaking, as having iron deficiencies. Their are traditionally green tea drinkers as opposed to black. Perhaps the issues associated with black tea and milk contribute to some of these conclusions. I’m a strong believe in scientific information but when one has such long periods of time to observe cultures and their food habits, I can’t help but feel that trumps science. That said, children and women of child bearing ages might do well to consider the science to be absolutely safe.
Thanks for the post! I read about iron absorption and tea with meals while I was pregnant. Of course, everything I read told me not to drink tea! But, I continued drinking tea, with meals included, and my iron levels remained where they needed to be. I think it is important for everyone to take a look at studies but to also go off of personal experiences and as Michelle said, from long periods of observation of other cultures and their food habits. That was one huge vote of confidence for drinking tea while pregnant.
Thanks for the replies! Yes, most of my sources were scientific articles but I too believe in looking at different cultures and the long periods of time that they have been drinking tea. The Chinese culture is a wonderful example. It is important to also listen to your body but at the same time it is important to look at science for something as serious as iron absorption. Since iron is such a vital nutrient, I think its definitely worth paying attention to, especially if you are like me and drink tea all the time!! :)
Thanks for the info Holly! This is super saddening news since I love tea and have a slight anemia.