How Long Should You Wait Between Tea and Iron?
Keep tea at least 1 hour away from iron supplements or iron-rich meals.
The short answer
Tea taken with an iron supplement or iron-rich meal may reduce iron absorption. In one controlled study, a gap of at least one hour reduced the effect.
Why it happens
Tea polyphenols can bind to nonheme iron and reduce how much the body absorbs. Nonheme iron is found mainly in plant foods and many supplements.
What to do
Do not drink tea at the same time as an iron supplement or iron-rich meal; leave at least one hour between them. If you are treating iron deficiency, follow your doctor or pharmacist's plan.
When this advice applies
The timing study mainly looked at nonheme iron in a meal. Instructions for a prescribed iron product may be different.
References
- A 1-h time interval between a meal containing iron and consumption of tea attenuates the inhibitory effects on iron absorptionAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition / PubMed · 2017
- AnaemiaWorld Health Organization · 2025
Updated July 31, 2026 · How to use this guidance