Tea Drinking Linked to Slightly Higher Hip Bone Density in Older Women

CATEGORY: FOODS & NUTRIENTS

Older women who regularly drank tea had slightly higher hip bone density than those who did not, while very high coffee intake — more than five cups a day — was linked to lower bone density, according to a study that followed nearly 10,000 women for about a decade.¹ The differences were small, but they add to a long line of research on how everyday drinks relate to bone health.

Why bone density matters

Bone mineral density is a measure of how much mineral is packed into bone, and it is a key marker of osteoporosis — a condition in which bones become weaker and more prone to fracture. Worldwide, roughly one in three women and one in five men over age 50 will experience a fracture linked to fragile bones, making even small shifts in bone density meaningful across a large population.¹

How the study worked

Researchers at Flinders University used data from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, a long-running project that repeatedly measured nearly 10,000 women aged 65 and older over about 10 years. Participants reported their coffee and tea intake through questionnaires at several points, while bone density at the hip and femoral neck — sites closely tied to fracture risk — was measured repeatedly using DXA, a low-dose X-ray scan. Because both diet and bone density were tracked over time, the researchers could examine how long-term drinking patterns related to bone changes.¹

What the researchers found

Tea drinking was associated with slightly higher total hip bone density — a small but statistically significant difference. Coffee overall showed no clear link to bone density, but drinking more than five cups a day was associated with lower density. The benefit of tea appeared somewhat stronger in women with obesity, while the possible downside of heavy coffee intake was more apparent in women who also drank more alcohol.¹

Possible explanations — and limits

Tea is rich in compounds called catechins, which laboratory research suggests may support bone formation and slow bone breakdown. Caffeine, by contrast, has been shown in lab studies to interfere modestly with calcium absorption, though the researchers note this effect is small and may be offset by adding milk. Importantly, this was an observational study: it can identify associations but cannot prove that tea strengthens bones or that coffee weakens them. The differences were also slight, and calcium and vitamin D remain the well-established cornerstones of bone health.¹

Key Takeaways

• In older women, regular tea drinking was linked to slightly higher hip bone density, while more than five cups of coffee a day was linked to lower density.
• The effects were small and observational — this does not prove tea builds bone or that coffee harms it.
• If bone health is a concern for you, discuss it with your healthcare provider, who can advise on proven steps such as adequate calcium, vitamin D, and bone-density screening where appropriate.

References

1. Liu RY, Liu E. Longitudinal association of coffee and tea consumption with bone mineral density in older women: a 10-year repeated-measures analysis in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. Nutrients. 2025;17(23):3660. link.