More people drink tea than any other beverage except water. Tea, especially green tea, may lower your risk for health conditions including cancer, heart disease and high cholesterol. However, tea can also decrease the amount of iron you absorb, which can be important if you already don't consume enough iron.
Iron is an essential mineral that your body uses to form red blood cells, which transport oxygen around your body. Iron is also necessary for your body to produce energy. If you are deficient in iron, you will feel tired, have a harder time remembering things, be more likely to get sick and have difficulty maintaining your body temperature.
Drinking tea can decrease the absorption of iron from plant-based sources. Compounds in tea bind to iron, decreasing its absorption by up to 64 percent, according to Consumer Reports. However, published research reports note that if you are healthy and don't have a risk of iron deficiency, you don't have to restrict your tea drinking. Most people consume enough iron that this isn't an issue to be concerned about.
For those who may be at risk of iron deficiency, drink your tea at least an hour before or after meals and make an effort to consume either more fish, poultry or meat or more foods containing vitamin C when you eat plant-based forms of iron. Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron. These will minimize the effects of drinking tea on your iron status.
People most at risk for iron deficiency include children, athletes, the elderly, pregnant women and women who could become pregnant. Vegetarians also need to watch their iron intake, although most vegetarians consume sufficient amounts of iron from plant sources to avoid iron deficiency. Coffee and red wine contain similar compounds to those in tea that can bind to iron, so people at risk for iron deficiency should avoid consuming these beverages at meals as well.
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