This goes in the HOW COME file.
Because of an upcoming operation They are taking two units of blood, in two weeks. I am taking an Iron Supplement. Don’t know if it is considered a Mega Dose or not 1000mg a day.
The information leaflet says not to take coffee or tea 1 hour before or 2hours after.
HOW COME
Caffeine maybe?
Don’t know.
wouldn’t think it would react to iron
I somewhat remember studying this in a college nutrition course. It is not the caffeine, as decaf will also prevent the absorption of the iron.
Let me clarify… Tea and coffee prevent the absorption of non-heme iron. That is… iron that comes from sources other than animals (heme iron is bound to hemoglobin in red blood cells). The absorption of heme iron is not affected by the consumption of coffee or tea. I assume that your supplements use a non-heme iron because it is cheaper and more stable.
But to answer your question, I don’t know what it is in the tea and coffee that actually do cause the blocking effect. I just remember that it is not the caffeine. I probably am not remembering this correctly, but I think that my prof. said that no one knows what it is that causes the blocking effect.
As a side note: Vegetarians should not ever drink coffee or tea around meal time.
Iron also forms non-absorbable complexes with milk. Maybe they’re assuming that most people have milk in coffee or tea. Yes, I know that if that were the case they should include warnings against having iron tablets with cornflakes, but it’s just a theory.
Vitamin C encourages Fe absorption, so I usually suggest taking it on an empty stomach with a little orange juice.
I agree, it’s not the caffeine. I know that they recommend that anemics not drink even decaf tea. And the rest of us shouldn’t wash down our daily vitamin plus iron with tea. I didn’t know about coffee though. I don’t drink coffee.
THIS smells like a Conspiracy. If you can’t HAVE Iron tablets with Corn Flakes, they how can they advertise corn flakes as being FORTIFIED WITH IRON??? OOOOooh this smells like yesterday’s diapers !
Cartooniverse
If you want to kiss the sky, you’d better learn how to kneel.
Err… that quote from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” at the end there should have read, " This thing stinks like yesterday’s diapers! ". Apologies to those who revere that flick as I do !
Cartooniverse
If you want to kiss the sky, you’d better learn how to kneel.
They can advertise that it’s fortified with iron all they like - it just won’t help you!!!
"We tend to want to check for anemia right after an expanse in blood volume. When this occurs it will take a bit for the red blood cells to “catch up” to the rise in volume. This can look like anemia, when it’s really not. Here are some other methods of getting the iron you need.
Suggestions:
–Eat lots of iron rich foods (liver, leafy greens, beets, oysters, heart and tongue)
–Avoid caffeine, it prevents absorption of iron
–Avoid excessive bran, alkalinizers and phosphates, they inhibit absorption "
From Natural Childbirth remedies
And from pregnancy nutrition
"There are certain foods that will inhibit iron absorption so you should avoid taking the supplement with any of them, even though it usually takes large amounts of the offending food to interfere. Some of the basic foods that will do this are: oxalic acid found in spinach and phosphates found primarily in milk, dairy products and egg whites. Also many sodas, phytates in beans and tannins in tea and coffee can interfere with iron absorption.
Vitamin C will enhance the absorption of iron many fold. However, for it to do so, it must be taken simultaneously with the iron. Both vitamin C and iron must be present together in the intestine for the positive effect to occur. That is why it is a good idea to drink orange juice with your iron fortified cereal in the morning or to eat broccoli with your meat."
There you go, caffeine and tannins in coffee and tea. Phosphates in a variety of foods including milk. It does state “that it usually takes large amounts of the offending food to interfere”.