It is a well-known fact that green tea is a powerful antioxidant with multiple health benefits. But scientist Matam Vijay-Kumar from Penn State has warned to avoid consuming green tea with iron-rich foods. Diets rich in iron include red meat and dark leafy green vegetables such as spinach and kale.

The major component named epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in green tea inhibits myeloperoxidase enzymes released by white blood cells during inflammatory bowel disease outbursts. But when green tea was consumed with iron, EGCG bound with the iron and the ability to inhibit myeloperoxidase was lost.

Matam Vijay Kumar, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State, said, “If you drink green tea after an iron-rich meal, the main compound in the tea will bind to the iron. When that occurs, the green tea loses its potential as an antioxidant. In order to get the benefits of green tea, it may be best to not consume it with iron-rich foods.” He further added, “The information from the study could be helpful for both people who enjoy green tea and drink it for its general benefits, as well as people who use it specifically to treat illnesses and conditions.”

Beng San Yeoh, the lead investigator of the study and the graduate student in immunology and infectious diseases said, “The benefit of green tea depends on the bioavailability of its active components; It is not only a matter of what we eat but also when we eat and what else we eat with it.”