Will drinking tea affect iron absorption in children? Is drinking tea good for children's health?

There are claims online that drinking tea will affect iron absorption for children, but there are also views that drinking more tea is good for children's health.

First of all, the claim that it is good for health is not quite accurate.

Tea contains caffeine, which may affect children's sleep quality and behavior patterns. Children's nervous systems are not fully developed, and they may be more sensitive to caffeine than adults. Therefore, it is recommended that children and adolescents avoid excessive consumption of caffeinated beverages.

Secondly, the claim that tea affects iron absorption is because tea contains tannic acid and tea polyphenols, which combine with iron to form a complex that is not easily absorbed by the human body, thereby reducing the absorption rate of iron. However, the tannic acid in tea affects non-heme iron, which is mainly found in plant foods. Therefore, this has little effect on healthy children with a balanced diet. For example, the daily diet is rich in heme iron sources, mainly animal-derived foods (such as meat, poultry, aquatic products, etc.), and the heme iron in these foods is not easily affected by tannic acid and other ingredients. However, if a child has low iron storage, such as anemia patients or children with insufficient iron intake, this may be a factor that needs to be considered.

Therefore, for children, it is recommended to drink less tea. The recommended beverage is boiled water, which can promote metabolism. In addition, drinking milk, yogurt, etc. in moderation is also a good choice.

References

[1] Zijp IM, Korver O, Tijburg LB. Effect of tea and other dietary factors on iron absorption. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2000 Sep;40(5):371-98. doi: 10.1080/10408690091189194. PMID: 11029010.

[2] Bryan Bordeaux. Benefits and risks of caffeine and caffeinated beverages. UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/en/benefits-and-risks-of-caffeine-and-caffeinated-beverages. (Accessed on Apr 23, 2024).

Author: Fan Yunzhu, Chief Physician of Jiahui Medical

Review丨Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert