Overview
- Over 10 years, nearly 10,000 women in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures who drank tea showed slightly higher total hip bone mineral density than non‑drinkers.
- Moderate coffee consumption of about two to three cups per day was not associated with harm, whereas more than five cups daily correlated with lower bone density.
- Women with higher lifetime alcohol use appeared more susceptible to coffee’s negative association, and tea’s benefit was more evident in women with obesity.
- Authors point to mechanisms that include tea catechins supporting bone formation and caffeine’s small effects on calcium absorption that may be offset by adding milk.
- The peer-reviewed Nutrients paper does not call for guideline changes, emphasizing established measures such as adequate calcium, vitamin D and weight-bearing exercise.