Clinical trial on the effect of regular tea drinking on iron accumulation in genetic haemochromatosis

摘要

Background—Black tea is known to be a potentinhibitor of intestinal absorption of non-haem iron at least in healthy subjects. 
Aims—To investigate this effect in patients withgenetic haemochromatosis, and, more importantly, the effect of regulartea drinking on the accumulation of storage iron in these patients overone year. 
Patients—Investigations were carried out on 18 patients with clinically proven genetic haemochromatosis. For the studyof storage iron accumulation, they were separated into a groupinstructed to drink a particularly tannin rich tea regularly with mealsand a control group. 
Methods—Intestinal iron absorption from a testmeal was measured using whole body counting. Body iron stores wereevaluated quantitatively by exhaustive phlebotomy, using haemoglobin,saturation of serum iron binding capacity, and serum ferritin for theassessment of body iron status. 
Results—A significant reduction in iron absorptionwas observed when the test meal was accompanied by drinks of teainstead of water. In the tea drinking group, the increase in storageiron was reduced by about one third compared with that of the control group. 
Conclusions—Regular tea drinking with mealsreduces the frequency of phlebotomies required in the management ofpatients with haemochromatosis.