Too much coffee may weaken bones, according to new study
A new study has found that reaching for cup after cup of coffee may bring about some unhealthy effects on your body.
Researchers at Flinders University followed 9,704 women aged 65 and older for about 10 years and asked how much coffee and tea they drank.
They also assessed bone strength by measuring bone mineral density at the femoral neck and hip, where osteoporosis-related issues commonly occur. Osteoporosis is a bone disease that makes your bones weak, thin, and brittle so they break easily.
The study revealed that women who drank tea had slightly stronger hip bones than women who didn’t. While the difference was small, it showed up after scientists accounted for age, weight, smoking, exercise, calcium, and other habits.
For coffee, the researchers stated that two to three cups a day might not affect bone mineral density. However, their analysis suggested that five cups per day may be associated with weaker bones.
Nevertheless, they acknowledged that the difference between drinking tea and coffee was still below the threshold generally considered clinically meaningful for individual patient management.
The study also measured bone density, not broken bones, so this remains an open question.
Because of this, study co-author Ryan Liu told ScienceDaily that their results "don't mean you need to give up coffee or start drinking tea by the gallon."
"But they do suggest that moderate tea consumption could be one simple way to support bone health, and that very high coffee intake might not be ideal, especially for women who drink alcohol," he said.
"While calcium and vitamin D remain cornerstones of bone health, what's in your cup could play a role too. For older women, enjoying a daily cup of tea may be more than a comforting ritual; it could be a small step toward stronger bones," he added.
