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Choice of Tea or Coffee Might Affect Risk of Osteoporosis in Older Women
Confirmed
In Short: The research highlights the importance of beverage choices in maintaining bone health, especially for postmenopausal women who are particularly vulnerable to osteoporosis.
Public health researchers from Flinders University in Australia have found that women over 65 who regularly drink tea tend to have higher bone mineral density (BMD) in their hips compared to those who do not.
The study, which analyzed the tea and coffee habits of nearly 10,000 US women, also noted that heavy coffee consumption, more than five cups a day, was linked to lower BMD.
The study, which followed women for about a decade, used dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans to measure bone density.
Women with higher lifetime alcohol consumption showed stronger negative associations between coffee and bone density.
Osteoporosis affects roughly one in three women over 50 worldwide and is responsible for millions of fractures each year, particularly in the hip and spine.
Hip fractures can be especially serious in older adults, often leading to long recovery periods, reduced mobility, and increased health risks.
The study also collected data on the women's bone health, measuring bone mineral density (BMD) in the hip and the narrow part of the femur's connection to the hip.
What this adds
The study's findings add to the growing body of research on the impact of dietary and lifestyle choices on bone health.
The study's longitudinal approach, measuring coffee and tea intake and bone density over time, provides a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between beverage consumption and bone health.
What's confirmed
- Public health researchers from Flinders University in Australia have found that women over 65 who regularly drink tea tend to have higher bone mineral density (BMD) in their hips compared to those who do not.
- The study, which analyzed the tea and coffee habits of nearly 10,000 US women, also noted that heavy coffee consumption, more than five cups a day, was linked to lower BMD.
- The study, which followed women for about a decade, used dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans to measure bone density.
- Women with higher lifetime alcohol consumption showed stronger negative associations between coffee and bone density.
- Osteoporosis affects roughly one in three women over 50 worldwide and is responsible for millions of fractures each year, particularly in the hip and spine.
- Hip fractures can be especially serious in older adults, often leading to long recovery periods, reduced mobility, and increased health risks.
- The study also collected data on the women's bone health, measuring bone mineral density (BMD) in the hip and the narrow part of the femur's connection to the hip.
What's still developing
- But over the years, daily decisions between tea or coffee could make a big difference to women's bone health, a recent study suggests.
- "While calcium and vitamin D remain cornerstones of bone health, what's in your cup could play a role too. For older women, enjoying a daily cup of tea may be more than a comforting ritual, it could be a small step toward stronger bones," he said.
- Osteoporosis is a common concern for women over 50 years of age.
- Older women are at particular risk of osteoporosis as levels of estrogen, a hormone that supports bone metabolism, drop after menopause.
- Women who regularly drank tea tended to have slightly but significantly higher hip BMD than those who didn't.
- University of Murcia team reported a 94% fracture drop in 10 women after one infusion of glycocalyx-edited stem cells Osteoporosis causes roughly 37 million fragility fractures globally every year, approximately one every second, and current drugs can slow the damage but cannot reverse it.
- Researchers now report that a single infusion of engineered stem cells was followed by a 94% drop in fracture rates among 10 high-risk women, according to a study published in Cell.
- For a disease affecting an estimated 500 million people worldwide, according to ScienceAlert’s coverage of the study, a promising early signal pointing toward regenerative medicine is worth watching.
- Moraleda and colleagues at the University of Murcia marks the first time glycocalyx-edited mesenchymal stem cells have been tested in humans for osteoporosis.
- Ten women aged 51 to 72 with advanced osteoporosis each received a single intravenous infusion of their own modified cells, designated Fuc-autoBM-MSCs in the paper.
- “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,” said co-author Ryan Liu from Flinders University.
- Some earlier studies linked high coffee consumption to increased fracture risk, while others found little or no impact.