Can tea be used to take medicine?

A Answer:

Whether tea can be used to take medicine cannot be generalized. In most cases, it is not recommended.

For Western medicines, such as iron-containing drugs (e.g., ferrous sulfate, ferrous carbonate) or aluminum-containing drugs (e.g., aluminum hydroxide), the polyphenols in tea may cause precipitation, reducing drug efficacy.

For traditional Chinese medicines, such as ephedra or coptis, mixing with tea is also generally not advisable.

However, tea can be used to take vitamin supplements, diuretics, lipid-lowering, or blood sugar-lowering medications. For example, drinking tea after taking vitamin C may enhance absorption due to tea's catechins. Tea itself has diuretic, lipid-lowering, and blood sugar-lowering effects, which can complement such medications.

Additionally, some people are sensitive to tea's caffeine, which has a stimulating effect. Therefore, sedatives, hypnotics, or cough suppressants should not be taken with tea to avoid counteracting their effects.

Generally, it is advised to avoid drinking tea within two hours of taking medicine.