For coffee and tea drinkers
Which supplements should you keep away from coffee and tea?
Which supplements should you keep away from coffee and tea?
Coffee and tea contain compounds that bind some minerals, so iron is best taken at least an hour away from them, and it is sensible to space a large coffee from calcium and zinc too. Most other supplements, including fat-soluble vitamins, are unaffected. If you drink coffee on waking, take iron later in the day.
Why coffee blocks iron
Coffee and tea contain polyphenols and tannins that bind iron in the gut, leaving less of it available to absorb. Black tea is the strongest binder, coffee a close second.
How long to wait
An hour either side of a cup is the practical rule, two hours is better if iron matters to you. If your iron supplement and your morning coffee always land together, move iron to lunch.
What is safe with coffee
Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and omega-3 are unaffected by coffee and absorb fine with a meal that contains fat. B-complex, vitamin C and most adaptogens are also fine alongside a cup.
The morning-coffee routine
Take coffee on its own first, then take your morning supplements with breakfast about an hour later. Keep iron for a separate window, away from any large cup of coffee or tea.
Frequently asked
Does decaf count?
Yes for the polyphenol effect on iron, decaf coffee and tea still contain the binders. Caffeine is not the active part for this interaction.
What about coffee with milk?
The calcium in milk competes with iron too, so a milky coffee is doubly worth spacing from an iron supplement.
Can I still have my morning cup if I take a multivitamin?
If the multivitamin contains iron, give them an hour apart. If it does not, taking it with your coffee meal is fine.
Keep exploring
Educational only. This guide does not make any health claims about caffeine itself, only about the timing of supplements around it.
Sources
See our full sources list for the references behind our guidance.