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Base foodLow concern
Black Tea
In plain words
The short version
Rich in tannins, which bind iron in the same meal and lower how much of it the body takes up.
Why it's green
It's widely considered safe at the amounts used in food, so we mark it green. The Safety section below has the details.
Safety profile
Tea polyphenols bind non-haem iron — the form found in plants, grains and fortified foods — into complexes the gut cannot absorb. The effect is large and well documented, and it applies to the meal the tea is drunk with, not to the diet as a whole. Vitamin C eaten at the same time counteracts a good part of it.
The detail
Educational information only. Not medical or dietary advice.