Friday, November 18, 2011

Does Jasmine tea or any decaffinated tea stop iron absorbtion?

I am trying to find out if anyone knows if decaffinated tea or Jasmine tea stops iron absorbtion. My iron levels are so low and I know that drinking Earl Grey caffinated has not helped.

Does Jasmine tea or any decaffinated tea stop iron absorbtion?
Most teas, decaffeinated or not, interfere with iron absorption. They do not stop the absorption. The substances in teas that do this are tannins, which are found in larger amounts in coffee, tea, grapes, red wine, purple or red rice, bran fiber, and chocolate.





Almost all plants have tannins in some form.





I found a link about iron absorption and one about tannins for you.
Reply:Agree.





All teas interfere with iron absorption. The fact that tea is an antioxidant (and therefore binds with metals) means it interferes with iron absorption.





To put this into perspective, many foods and beverages also reduce the amount of non-heme iron we absorb. These include coffee, dairy, fiber, eggs and some chocolate. Calcium can impair the absorption of both non-heme and heme iron.





Therefore if you need more iron, you should avoid these foods. But if you have too much iron, you should eat more of them.





If you suffer from or are prone to iron deficiency, the following tips might help:





Cut down on tea and coffee, especially black tea, and even some herbal varieties.





Add lemon juice to your cuppa. Some people prefer milk, but milk won’t help you absorb more iron - lemon does.





If you drink loose tea, brew it half-strength. Add 2 to 3 grams of loose leaves per cup. Avoid full-strength tea.





Avoid drinking tea with a meal, or half an hour afterwards.





Avoid drinking tea if you are having a period.


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