Researchers at Flinders University have found that coffee and tea may affect bone health differently in older women. The study, published in Nutrients, followed nearly 10,000 women aged 65 and older for 10 years.
Researchers looked at whether drinking coffee or tea was linked to changes in bone mineral density (BMD), which is an important measure of bone strength and the risk of osteoporosis.
The researchers regularly recorded how much coffee and tea the women drank and measured bone density in the hip and femoral neck areas where fractures are common.
The results showed that women who drank tea had slightly higher bone density in their hips than women who did not drink tea.
Although the difference was small, it was statistically significant.
Meanwhile, drinking around two to three cups of coffee a day was not linked to weaker bones.
However, women who drank more than five cups a day had lower bone density, suggesting that very high coffee consumption may have a negative effect on bone health.
“Coffee’s caffeine content, by contrast, has been shown in laboratory studies to interfere with calcium absorption and bone metabolism, though these effects are small and can be offset by adding milk,” explained study co-author Ryan Liu.
The researchers also found that other lifestyle factors could influence these results. The negative link between coffee and bone health was stronger in women who had consumed more alcohol over their lifetime.
Meanwhile, the possible benefits of tea were stronger among women with obesity.
“Our results don’t mean you need to give up coffee or start drinking tea by the gallon,” concluded Assoc Prof Enwu Liu.
“But they do suggest that moderate tea consumption could be one simple way to support bone health, and that very high coffee intake might not be ideal, especially for women who drink alcohol.” – dpa
