Tea Consumption Reduces Iron Bioavailability from NaFeEDTA in Nonanemic Women and Women with Iron Deficiency Anemia: Stable Iron Isotope Studies in Morocco

Available data suggest that polyphenols from tea can inhibit iron absorption from ferric sodium EDTA (NaFeEDTA), but previous studies were done in small groups of mostly nonanemic adults. Morocco recently introduced national wheat flour fortification with NaFeEDTA, but tea is the national beverage and is consumed with most meals. Our objective was to quantify bioavailability of iron from NaFeEDTA when added to a wheat flour–based meal in both nonanemic women and women with iron deficiency anemia (IDA), when consumed with and without traditional Moroccan green tea. We recruited 2 groups of healthy Moroccan women (n = 46): women with IDA (n = 25; hemoglobin