Having a cup of tea or rich coffee after a meal is a great pleasure for many people, and some even believe it cleanses the mouth and aids digestion. In fact, drinking tea immediately after a meal is unhealthy and may lay the groundwork for anemia in the future.

Huo Junsheng, director of the Food Science and Technology Office at the National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told the "Life Times" reporter: "Drinking tea immediately after a meal introduces a large amount of water into the stomach while it is digesting food, diluting the digestive juices and thus affecting digestion. In addition, tea contains a large amount of tannic acid. Drinking tea after a meal causes undigested protein in the stomach to combine with tannic acid, forming a hard-to-digest coagulated substance, which affects the digestion and absorption of protein. More importantly, tea hinders the body's absorption of iron. Drinking tea brewed from 15 grams of dry tea leaves after a meal can reduce iron absorption from food by 50%. Over time, this affects digestive function and may even cause iron-deficiency anemia."

Now, many people also like to drink tea after a full meal, thinking it can help digestion and cut grease. In fact, this is also very bad for health. Director Huo told the reporter: "Because the large amount of tannic acid in tea binds with protein to form tannic acid protein, which has a constipating effect, slowing intestinal peristalsis and prolonging the retention time of food residues in the intestines, leading to dry stool."

Director Huo emphasized that to avoid anemia, it is more appropriate to drink coffee or tea about 1 to 2 hours after a meal, when the stomach has emptied. Usually, one can also eat more green leafy vegetables, red beans, pork liver, and other iron-rich foods to prevent hemoglobin deficiency.

He suggested that it is best to drink ripe Pu'er tea in the evening. Because raw Pu'er tea is an unfermented tea with a high polyphenol content and stronger irritation; ripe Pu'er tea is fully fermented and less irritating. Tea should not be brewed too strong. Drinking tea on an empty stomach easily inhibits gastric juice secretion, hinders digestion, and in severe cases may even cause palpitations, headaches, and other symptoms of "tea intoxication."