Pro Tip: Drink Coffee with Food to Reduce Iron Absorption
Coffee reduces iron absorption.
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You might be thinking it’s time to cut your coffee habit...but this is actually a good thing! ☕
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Most of us have actually been overloaded with iron our whole lives, mainly through iron fortification, modern agricultural practices and misguided supplementation.
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We have a sophisticated iron recycling system which recycles about 25 mg of iron per day (some say upwards of 30+). Therefore we only need to get 1-2 mg of iron through diet per day.
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Drinking things like coffee or even tea can reduce iron absorption. This is primarily due to the caffeine and polyphenols, like chlorogenic acid and tannins.
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These compounds bind to iron during digestion, making it harder to absorb. And their effect is dose-dependent, meaning the more you drink, the less iron you get.
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It’s important to note that this effect is far more effective on non-heme — plant — iron sources, which are unstable and not well absorbed and utilized anyway. But coffee and tea can still have some effect on heme (animal) iron sources.
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So there you have it folks! Another reason to have coffee with your food. ;)
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This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before pursuing any changes to your personal healthcare regime.
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References
Brown, M.J. (2017). Do Coffee and Caffeine Inhibit Iron Absorption? Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coffee-caffeine-iron-absorption#:~:text=Several%20studies%20have%20found%20that,whopping%2064%25%20(%203%20)..
Morck, T.A. Lynch, S.R. Cook, J.D. (1983). Inhibition of food iron absorption by coffee. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6402915/.
Sung, E.S. Choi, C.K. Kim, N.R. Kim, S.A. Shin, M.H. (2018). Association of Coffee and Tea with Ferritin: Data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (IV and V). Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6165914/.
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