Tea and coffee are both popular everyday drinks — but experts say one may be better for you than the other.
A new study has found that people who drink tea regularly may be less likely to develop osteoporosis than people who drink coffee.
The researchers found that people who drank tea daily had higher bone mineral density (BMD) than people who did not drink tea, which the scientists called a “significant” result.
Moderate coffee consumption does not have a negative effect on bone density. However, people who drank more than five cups of coffee a day had lower BMD levels, suggesting that excessive consumption may be harmful to bone health.
The Flinders University team analyzed data from nearly 10,000 women aged 65 and over over a decade as they measured their bone density. They found that tea drinkers had slightly higher total hip bone density than non-tea drinkers.
While the difference was small, even small improvements in bone density could lead to fewer fractures in large groups, experts said.
Results published in the journal nutrients It also suggested that women with higher lifetime alcohol consumption experienced more negative effects from coffee, while tea appeared to be particularly beneficial for obese women.
Professor Eno Liu said the findings suggest that enjoying a cup of tea a day could be a simple way to support bone health as we age.
“While moderate coffee drinking appears to be safe, heavy coffee consumption may not be ideal, especially for women who drink alcohol,” she said.
But he cautioned against making drastic lifestyle changes based on the results.
“Our results don’t mean you should give up coffee or start drinking gallons of tea,” he explained. But they suggest that moderate tea consumption can be a simple way to support bone health, and that heavy coffee consumption may not be ideal, especially for women who drink alcohol.
“While calcium and vitamin D are cornerstones of bone health, what’s in your cup can also play a role. For older women, enjoying a daily cup of tea may be more than a relaxing ritual; it can be a small step toward stronger bones.”
This comes after a study linked more coffee consumption with higher levels of pain in older adults. The scientists found that increased coffee consumption was associated with a 6.56 percent increase in pain intensity compared to people who reduced their coffee consumption.
