Older women who regularly drink tea may have slightly stronger hip bones, while consuming more than five cups of coffee a day could be linked to lower bone density, a 10-year study has found.
Researchers from Flinders University followed nearly 10,000 women aged 65 and older and found that tea consumption was associated with slightly higher bone mineral density (BMD), an important measure of bone strength and osteoporosis risk.
Moderate coffee consumption, around two to three cups a day, was not associated with poorer bone health. However, women who consumed more than five cups daily had lower bone density.
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The findings, published in Nutrients, suggest that moderate tea consumption may have a small beneficial association with bone health, while very high coffee intake may have some drawbacks.
The researchers analysed data from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, repeatedly assessing the women’s coffee and tea consumption and measuring bone density at the hip and femoral neck.
After following the women for 10 years, those who drank tea had slightly higher total hip BMD than women who did not drink tea.
Although the difference was small, researchers said even modest changes in bone density could potentially have an impact on fracture rates when considered across large populations.
Adjunct Associate Professor Enwu Liu of Flinders University said the findings could have wider relevance because coffee and tea are consumed daily by billions of people worldwide.
The relationship between coffee and bone health was more complicated.
Women who drank moderate amounts of coffee did not appear to have an increased risk of lower bone density. But those consuming more than five cups a day had lower BMD.
The researchers also found that the association varied according to other lifestyle and health factors.
The negative association between heavy coffee consumption and bone density was stronger among women with higher lifetime alcohol consumption, while the association between tea consumption and higher bone density was more pronounced among women with obesity.
Researchers said compounds known as catechins, which are abundant in tea, may help promote bone formation and reduce bone breakdown.
Coffee contains caffeine, which laboratory studies suggest can interfere with calcium absorption and bone metabolism.
However, the researchers noted that these effects are relatively small and may be reduced when coffee is consumed with milk.
The researchers stressed that the differences in bone density were modest and that the study does not prove that tea strengthens bones or that excessive coffee consumption directly weakens them.
They said calcium and vitamin D remain important foundations of bone health, alongside physical activity and other healthy lifestyle measures.
“While moderate coffee drinking appears safe, very high consumption may not be ideal, especially for women who drink alcohol,” Enwu Liu said.
He added that older women could consider moderate tea consumption as one simple lifestyle choice that may support bone health.
The researchers said further studies are needed to better understand the relationship between tea, coffee and bone health and determine whether the observed associations translate into meaningful differences in fracture risk.
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