Having a cup of light tea or rich, aromatic coffee after a meal is a great pleasure for many, and some even believe it cleanses the mouth and aids digestion. In fact, drinking tea immediately after a meal is detrimental to your health and can lay the groundwork for anemia in the future.
Huo Junsheng, Director of the Food Science and Technology Department at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said: "Drinking tea right after a meal causes a large amount of water to enter the stomach, which is busy digesting food. This dilutes the digestive secretions produced by the stomach, thereby affecting its ability to digest food. Furthermore, tea contains a large amount of tannic acid. Drinking tea after a meal causes undigested protein in the stomach to combine with the tannic acid, forming a hard-to-digest coagulated substance that interferes with protein digestion and absorption. More importantly, tea hinders the body's absorption of iron. Drinking tea brewed from 15 grams of dry tea leaves after a meal can reduce the absorption of iron from food by 50%. Over time, this can impair a person's digestive function and even lead to iron-deficiency anemia."
Many people also enjoy drinking tea after a large meal, believing it can aid digestion and relieve the feeling of being bloated. In reality, this is also very unhealthy for you. Director Huo said: "Because the large amount of tannic acid in tea combines with protein to form tannic acid protein. This substance has an astringent effect, which slows down intestinal peristalsis, thereby prolonging the time food waste remains in the intestines and leading to constipation."
>Director Huo emphasized that to avoid anemia symptoms, it is more appropriate to drink coffee or tea about 1-2 hours after a meal, once the stomach has emptied. You can also consume more iron-rich foods in your daily diet, such as green leafy vegetables, red beans, and pork liver, to prevent a deficiency in heme.He suggested that it is best to drink black tea in the evening. Because green tea is unfermented, it has a higher content of tea polyphenols and is more stimulating. Black tea is fully fermented and is less stimulating. Tea should not be brewed too strong. Drinking tea on an empty stomach can easily inhibit gastric acid secretion, hinder digestion, and in severe cases, can even cause symptoms like heart palpitations and headaches, known as 'tea intoxication'."