Why you should skip drinking tea or coffee with food

If you are a drinker of tea or coffee, be it, iced or hot, having it with meals is not so good for your health.

If you are worried about your iron levels, you should pay attention when you drink your brews.

According to recent research published in the journal BMJ, Iron absorption is complex and affected by many dietary factors including tea and coffee.

Drinking coffee or tea in moderation is not bad for your health but some evidence suggests that it could slow down your body’s ability to absorb minerals and iron after eating.

In our bodies, Iron is needed for growth and development; to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that is responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body, and myoglobin, a protein that provides oxygen to muscles.

Iron deficiency; is a condition in which blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells

Women in general are at a greater risk of developing iron deficiency, while others include; vegans, vegetarians, menstruating women, the elderly, breastfeeding or formula-fed babies, toddlers, or those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. 

Drinking tea or coffee after a meal binds the iron and other minerals in food, and supplements to inhibit their absorption.

Drinking coffee with a meal can cut down iron absorbed by up to 80 per cent while also reducing the uptake of minerals such as zinc, magnesium, and calcium.

But if you enjoy the drink after a meal, it is advised you wait at least an hour after eating before you do so.

There are also healthy alternatives to coffee, if you habitually enjoy a warm drink after food, such as green tea.

Green and herbal teas are a good source of polyphenolic compounds such as catechins, which act to increase the activity of pepsin, the digestive enzyme that aids the breakdown of dietary proteins in the stomach.

Other ways to increase your iron levels include; increasing intake through meat, poultry or seafood

Increase vitamin C intake at mealtimes.

Eat iron-fortified foods.

Eat foods high in calcium and high-fiber foods like whole grains separately from iron-rich foods.

This will help limit the effects that coffee and caffeinated drinks have on iron absorption.