Expert: Dr. Man Tran, Ph.D., D.C., L.Ac. - 3/26/2007

Question
I quit drinking tea and coffee because I have an iron def. problem.  I take 4 iron tabs a day to keep up.  Is it the caffine or the tea/coffee itself that hinders iron absorbtion.  If I had decafe..and I safe?

Answer
Dear Deborah,

Coffee and certain tea do hinder the absorption of iron in the body as well as dairy products and nuts.  You may want to increase your diet in certain type of food which has high iron.  Examples are liver, lean red meat, whole grains, dark green vegetables, and legumes.

You can also drink dandelion tea as an herbal remedy.