The best diet for tea and coffee lovers

Nutritionists will often tell you what is best for your body and your immune system. What they don’t often tell you is that many everyday things rob our body of important nutrients and that includes tea and coffee.

Tea and coffee are wonderful drinks, they perk us up, they nourish our minds and refresh us; but they also take iron out of our bodies.

Coffee and tea contain high levels of polyphenois, substances that bind with iron, preventing its absorption.

Tea can reduce absorption by up to 95 percent (green tea doesn’t inhibit absorption by quite as much).

It is thought to be the phonolics – compounds found in plants – in tea that are to blame.

Lack of iron causes anaemia, leading to tiredness and lowered immunity, as iron helps make red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. A diet high in iron rich foods such as dark leafy greens and meat is important for coffee and tea drinkers.

Vitamin C – such as that found in a glass of orange juice, will improve absorption.