Long-Time Tea Drinking May Aid Bones

Source: Tufts University
June 20, 2002 (Reviewed: June 29, 2004)

Milk is considered the bone-building beverage. However tea, which is the second-most commonly consumed drink among adults worldwide (after water), also may be beneficial to bones. These findings from researchers in Taiwan were recently published in Archives of Internal Medicine.

Over 1,000 healthy adults were questioned about their tea-drinking habits: what kind of tea they usually drink - black, green, oolong, how much they drink, how many years they've been drinking it, and whether they add milk or not. Researchers also asked about physical activity levels, smoking status, use of calcium supplements, and alcohol consumption, and they obtained a medical history, including use of hormone replacement therapy and other medications that would alter bone growth. Weight, height, and body fat were calculated and bone mass in the hip, spine, and total body were measured by x-ray.

Long-time tea drinkers fared best

After accounting for factors that affect bone density - including age, gender, and physical activity - the researchers found that volunteers who consumed tea regularly for 6 to 10 years had significantly greater bone density in the spine when compared with those who had consumed tea for less than 5 years. And, they had greater bone density in the spine, hip and total body than the volunteers who did not drink tea. The duration of tea consumption - not how much or what kind - appeared to be the determining factor.

Tea may contribute to bone health in several ways. It contains fluoride and flavonoids (substances in plants that appear to have disease-fighting potential), all of which may help preserve bone mass. Tea may also actually inhibit some of the processes that lead to bone weakening.

Other bone-building habits

This study adds to the scientific evidence that drinking tea may help keep bones strong, and that it can reduce the likelihood of osteoporosis and fractures. But while this may be good news for long-time tea drinkers, other lifestyle habits are clearly necessary for promoting strong bones. Make it a point to get enough calcium from low-fat dairy foods, fortified orange juice, and leafy green vegetables, and vitamin D from fortified milk and cereals. Work a weight-bearing exercise, like walking, into your daily routine. Even better - walk during the daylight hours and get the sunlight exposure that your body needs to generate its own vitamin D.

Green, Oolong, Earl Gray...?

More than 90% of the tea drinkers in this study drank green or oolong tea, but in Western countries people more commonly consume black tea. The researchers did compare the types of tea (and found no difference), but there may have been too few black tea drinkers to show a difference even if there was one.

Source

• Epidemiological evidence of increased bone mineral density in habitual tea drinkers. CH. Wu, YC. Yang, WJ. Yao,  et al., Arch Intern Med, 2002, vol. 162, pp. 1001--1006

Related Links
What are the Chances of Preventing Osteoporosis?
Fluoride Aids Bone Health
Winning the Battle of the Bones?
Curbing Caffeine May Benefit Bones
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