Avoid this food combination:
Millions of people in India start their morning with tea or coffee. Many people drink tea only after getting up from bed. There is a habit of drinking tea and coffee with breakfast, lunch or evening snacks. But do you know that this habit can cause iron deficiency in your body? Especially when you consume iron-rich foods like spinach, pulses, kidney beans, gram, millet, jaggery or tea or coffee with red meat or immediately after, the body is not able to absorb the iron from these foods properly. The habit of consuming food with tea or coffee can increase the risk of iron deficiency and anemia, especially in women, children and adolescents.
Effect of tea and coffee on iron
According to Dr. Sonia Rawat, Director of Preventive Health and Wellness Department, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, tea contains natural compounds like tannins and coffee contains polyphenols. These elements combine with non-heme iron to form compounds that the body cannot absorb easily. Non-heme iron is mainly found in plant foods like spinach, fenugreek, mustard greens, pulses, beans, soybean, gram, kidney beans, cowpea, millet, ragi, sesame and dry fruits. If tea or coffee is consumed with these foods, iron absorption may be significantly reduced.
How much difference should there be between tea and coffee?
According to the doctor, there should be a gap of at least 1 to 2 hours between iron-rich foods and tea or coffee. If you have eaten iron-rich foods, avoid drinking tea or coffee immediately. Similarly, if you have previously drunk tea or coffee, keep a gap of some time before eating iron rich foods. This small change can help your body get more iron. Some people are at higher risk of iron deficiency, such as pregnant women, breastfeeding women, young children, teenagers, vegetarians and patients suffering from anemia. Adequate absorption of iron is extremely important for these people.
beneficial food combinations
According to experts, certain foods help in increasing the absorption of iron. Foods rich in Vitamin C help in absorbing iron better. Along with iron rich foods you can include lemon juice, amla, orange, seasonal, guava, kiwi, tomato, capsicum or other citrus fruits. For example, mixing lemon juice with lentils or spinach, adding tomato and lemon to gram salad or eating vitamin C-rich fruits after meals is beneficial.
Do all types of iron have the same effect?
According to Dr. Rawat, tea and coffee have less effect on the absorption of heme iron which is obtained from meat, fish and poultry. Whereas non-heme iron, which is obtained from plants, is more affected by tea and coffee. Therefore, vegetarian people should take special care of this. Consuming tea and coffee in moderation is considered safe for health, but it is not advisable to consume them with or immediately after iron-rich foods.
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