Tea Safe for Iron Levels

PARIS—Healthy 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; 61:1174–1179). In the cross-sectional trial, researchers had 954 men (aged 52–68 years) and 1639 women (aged 42–68 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 status—iron 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.

http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v61/n10/abs/1602634a.html

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