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Regular tea consumption may be associated with slightly stronger bones in older women, while very high coffee intake could be linked to lower bone density, according to a 10-year study by researchers at Flinders University.
Published in Nutrients, the study followed nearly 10,000 women aged 65 and older and examined their coffee and tea consumption alongside changes in bone mineral density (BMD), an important indicator of osteoporosis risk.
Women who regularly drank tea had slightly higher total hip BMD than non-tea drinkers. Researchers suggested that catechins, compounds abundant in tea, may support bone formation and slow bone loss.
Coffee consumption showed a different pattern. Moderate intake of two to three cups a day was not associated with poorer bone health, but women who drank more than five cups daily had lower BMD.
The negative association with heavy coffee consumption was stronger among women with higher lifetime alcohol intake, while the apparent benefits of tea were more pronounced among women with obesity.
The researchers stressed that the differences were modest and do not warrant major changes to individual drinking habits. They said calcium and vitamin D remain the mainstays of bone health, although beverage choices may also play a role.
The study, titled “Longitudinal Association of Coffee and Tea Consumption with Bone Mineral Density in Older Women,” was authored by Ryan Yan Liu and Enwu Liu and published in Nutrients.