It’s no secret that iron is a mineral necessary for the prevention or reversal of anemia. Needless to say, if you have the said blood condition it is a wonderful idea for you to include plenty of iron-rich foods to your everyday diet.

Some of the top food sources of iron include beef, pork, chicken, turkey, liver and fish. Vegetarian? Fret not because there are lots of plant sources of iron — brown rice, quinoa, lima beans, soy and various soy products, Swiss chards, collard greens, kale, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds are just some of them.

Did you know that while there are certain foods that you should load up on there are also foods that you should stay away from while battling anemia?

According to health authorities, some foods can in fact hamper proper absorption of iron, thus keeping your body from being supplied with the mineral so important for the synthesis of RBCs — red blood cells.

So without further ado, let’s check out some of the foods that you should avoid if you are suffering from anemia:

Coffee

Do you love coffee? Sad to say, coffee and anemia don’t mix — experts say that your favorite cup of Joe can keep your body from benefitting from iron in the foods you eat.

However, there is a workaround so that you may still enjoy coffee on a regular basis: just make sure that you consume it 1 hour before meals and at least 1 hour after meals. So in short, take coffee in between meals.

Green Tea

Many of those who cannot have coffee as they are sensitive to caffeine turn to green tea. Unfortunately, despite of the fact that green tea is undeniably healthy you have to say “no” to it if you have anemia because, just like coffee, it can render iron present in food pretty much useless.

The good news is you simply have to sip a cup of green tea on an empty stomach — and wait for at least an hour before having foods that are rich in iron.

Red Wine

We all know that moderate consumption of red wine offers amazing health perks, thanks to the fact that it’s packed with resveratrol — a plant-based compound capable of fending off heart disease and cancer, scientists confirm.

Sadly, red wine is known to inhibit iron absorption. Well, to a certain degree only. Experts say that you should simply keep your intake of red wine to a minimum after having a meal so that your body’s ability to absorb iron remains intact.

Gluten

Do you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity? Then see to it that you steer clear of anything that has gluten most especially if you are trying to deal with anemia.

The intake of anything with gluten in it can keep your intestines from properly absorbing nutrients in the food you eat, and iron is one of those. But even if you have no anemia, make sure that you turn your back on gluten-containing foods if you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity in order to fend off unfavorable symptoms and serious complications.

Calcium-Rich Foods

Everyone knows that calcium is a mineral so important for having the bones strengthened. So in short, opting for a diet that contains calcium-rich foods is important for lowering your risk of suffering from osteoporosis when you are older.

Unfortunately, calcium is something that can keep optimum iron absorption from happening. This does not mean, however, that you should stay away from anything that has calcium in it and risk having osteoporosis one day — all you have to do is consume iron-rich and calcium-rich foods at different times of the day.

Got family members and friends who are also dealing with anemia? Make sure that you share this article on your various social media sites before you go so that they may also be able to dodge the iron-blocking foods mentioned above.