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Issue 58
Drinking tea is good for the bones
A high caffeine intake is considered a risk factor for
Osteoporosis, but most of the
studies have focused on the effect of consuming coffee. Less is known about
the impact of drinking tea, which as well as being a source of caffeine, also
contains other substances that may effect bone density. For instance, tea contains
flavonoids which have a weak oestrogenic activity and may protect bones against
demineralisation. To investigate this further, scientists designed a study which
compared the bone mineral density of female (65-76 years) tea drinkers with
non-tea drinkers.
The results showed that independent of Smoking,
the use of HRT, coffee drinking, and whether milk was added to the tea, the
bone mineral density of tea drinkers was approximately 5% greater than those
who abstained from drinking tea. The effect of drinking tea on bone density
was about half the difference observed in women using hormone replacement therapy
compared with women who do not. Therefore, these initial observations warrant
further studies to investigate the potential benefits of tea.
Am J Clin Nutr, 2000, 71;4:1003-7
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