Tea Doesn't Significantly Impact Iron Levels

Harry Hirsute · ï¿½ #1 ï¿½ 10-22-2007, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Tea Safe for Iron Levels
by Steve Myers - 10/22/2007

PARISï¿½Healthy people can safely drink tea without fear of depleting their iron levels, according to recent study results from the Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine (Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007; 61:1174ï¿½1179).

In the cross-sectional trial, researchers had 954 men (aged 52ï¿½68 years) and 1639 women (aged 42ï¿½68 years), who were participants of SU.VI.MAX (Supplementation en Vitamines et Mineraux Antioxydants) Study, complete a detailed questionnaire on tea consumption.

Venous blood samples were drawn and serum-ferritin levels were measured to assess overall iron statusï¿½iron depletion was defined as a serum ferritin concentration less than 16 g/l. To account for outside variables, food records provided estimates of the intake of other dietary enhancing or inhibiting factors of iron absorption, which were included in the logistic regression models.

Results showed mean serum-ferritin concentration was not related to black, green or herbal tea consumption in men and women (pre- or post-menopausal). In the multivariate model, the risk of iron depletion was not related to any kind of tea drinking, nor was it linked to the strength of tea, the infusion time or the time of tea drinking.

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bifrost99 · ï¿½ #2 ï¿½ 10-24-2007, 07:51 PM

I don't think tea was ever blamed for depleting iron levels. Rather, tea is known to inhibit iron absorption because of its tannins lining the gut. So I wonder why this study was even done at all.

Any person with normal iron levels will not suffer from tea drinking (as far as his/her iron levels are concerned). However, anemic persons or otherwise iron deficient persons will suffer impaired absorption of iron IF, and only IF, they drink tea along with their iron containing meals or supplements. If they allow for sufficient time between such iron intake and tea drinking, there won't be any problem.

Gerry

Harry Hirsute · ï¿½ #3 ï¿½ 10-24-2007, 10:57 PM

That's the point, Gerry. Most people drink tea whenever they wish. They don't take into account if it's with a meal containing iron-rich foods or (supplements) or not.

So, the study was undertaken to see if people who drink larger amounts of tea would have lower levels of iron (because of the effect of tea on iron absorption).

The authors weren't suggesting any chelating effect of tea on iron stores.

Matrix · ï¿½ #4 ï¿½ 10-25-2007, 12:17 AM

I drink green tea a lot, all the time. Maybe I'm a good sample for such studies.

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