Can You Drink Coffee With an Iron Supplement?
Keep coffee 1–2 hours away from an iron supplement.
The short answer
Coffee taken with an oral iron supplement or iron-rich meal may reduce iron absorption.
Why it happens
Coffee polyphenols can reduce nonheme iron absorption. In a study of women with iron deficiency, absorption was much lower when iron was taken with coffee or breakfast than when it was taken with orange juice alone.
What to do
Do not use coffee to take an iron supplement. Unless your product instructions, doctor, or pharmacist says otherwise, leave 1–2 hours between them.
When this advice applies
The size of the effect can vary with the meal, type and dose of iron, and your iron stores. Follow the instructions for prescribed iron.
References
- Effect of dietary factors and time of day on iron absorption from oral iron supplements in iron deficient womeneClinicalMedicine / PubMed · 2023
- AnaemiaWorld Health Organization · 2025
Updated July 31, 2026 · How to use this guidance