What Happens to Your Bone Health When You Drink Tea Regularly

Eating plenty of calcium-rich foods and participating in impact exercise are the usual recommendations for bone health, as well as avoiding caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee. But if you’re a tea lover who also wants strong bones, research offers some reassurance.

What Does the Research Say?

While some research has found that caffeine consumption may not be your body’s best friend when it comes to bone health, evidence suggests the benefits of other bioactive compounds in tea outweigh any cons of its caffeine content.

Observational studies have shown that tea consumption does not contribute to calcium loss or reduced bone density.

Researchers think the anti-inflammatory benefits tea drinkers get from the beverage have something to do with its positive bone health-supporting effects.

Some studies have suggested that for post-menopausal women, the plant compounds found in authentic tea, like green tea, may have estrogen-like activities, which can help the body maintain bone health after the natural reduction in bone-supporting estrogen that happens during this life stage.

For example, a study from 2022 that included 3,530 postmenopausal women found that participants who consumed 1–3 cups of green tea daily had significantly lower rates of osteopenia (weakened bones) and osteoporosis (decreased bone mass) compared to people who either did not consume green tea or consumed less than one cup daily.

A Different Way to Look at Tea and Bone Health

Most research on tea consumption linked to positive bone health effects has largely been based on observational data, making it hard to prove there’s a cause-and-effect relationship.

To change the perspective on studying tea and bone health, researchers in China explored the potential link without leaning on observational data.

Instead, they performed Mendelian randomization analyses, which meant they used genetic variations to help them draw conclusions and control for variables that could affect the results.

Ultimately, researchers were looking to see how total body bone mineral density did or did not improve based on tea consumption.

Healthy bone mineral density is crucial because it is a marker of bone strength and overall bone health. High bone density may reduce the risk of fractures, especially in older adults, for whom even minor falls can lead to serious injuries.

More Evidence That Tea Is Good For Your Bones

The results showed that individuals with a genetic inclination toward drinking more tea were more likely to increase total bone mineral density. (Yes, there are variations in DNA sequences associated with liking tea.) This was most notable among the participants who were between the ages of 45 and 60.

The researchers said that their study debunked the misconception that drinking tea leads to osteoporosis, suggesting instead that tea can actually improve bone density.

But right now, they can only infer this may be the case among people inclined to drink tea to begin with. In subgroup analyses, the researchers did not find a causal relationship between bone density and specific teas, including green and herbal tea.

Alyssa Smolen, RDN, a New Jersey-based dietitian, said she is not surprised by the results.

“To the general public, drinking tea is considered a healthy behavior and normally poses no threats to one’s health,” she told Verywell. “The results only confirm the health benefit of drinking tea, especially to an older population.”