EXCESSIVE TEA CONSUMPTION CAN INHIBIT THE EFFICACY OF ORAL IRON TREATMENT IN IRON-DEFICIENCY ANEMIA

Intestinal absorption of non-heme food iron may be inhibited by tea, w hich, on the contrary, does not exert any appreciable effect on heme i ron assimilation. Therefore, while an iron-deficiency anemia cannot de velop in non-vegetarian subjects as a consequence of tea consumption o nly, it is possible that tea could inhibit the therapeutic effect of o ral iron drugs, which are usually non-hemic ferrous salts, in iron-def icient subjects. This view is supported by the case we describe here, a young woman affected by hypermenorrhea and iron-deficiency anemia, w ho did not respond to oral iron treatment until she stopped her long-e stablished habit of consuming large quantities of tea. We also believe that oral iron drugs should never be taken together with a cup of tea ; therefore we think it useful to advise our iron-deficient patients c learly not to combine tea with the oral consumption of non-hemic ferro us salts.