Consuming Tea May Help Hip Bone Strength in Older Women

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 7, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Tea consumption is associated with higher total hip bone mineral density (BMD) in older women, while excessive coffee intake may adversely affect BMD, according to a study published online Nov. 23 in Nutrients.

Ryan Yan Liu and Enwu Liu, Ph.D., from Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, evaluated the longitudinal associations of coffee and tea consumption with BMD in older women. The analysis included data from 9,704 women (aged 65 years and older) participating in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures.

The researchers found that over 10 years of follow-up, tea consumption was positively associated with total hip BMD (least squares mean: 0.718 versus 0.715 g/cm²), with a linear association but a modest dose-response relationship (β = 0.0006). There was no significant association for coffee consumption and femoral neck or total hip BMD. Spline analyses suggested that consuming more than five cups of coffee per day may be associated with lower BMD. Significant interactions were seen between coffee and alcohol intake and between tea consumption and body mass index.

“Our findings suggest tea consumption is associated with higher total hip BMD in older postmenopausal women,” the authors write. “These findings underscore the importance of personalized dietary recommendations in promoting optimal bone health among aging women.”

Abstract/Full Text