Coffee vs Tea: One may be linked to weaker bones in older women while the other shows a surprising benefit, 10-year study finds - Here’s what researchers discovered

Coffee and tea are everyday drinks for millions of people, but a new study suggests they may not have the same relationship with bone health. Researchers at College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, followed nearly 10,000 women aged 65 and older for 10 years to examine whether their coffee and tea habits were linked to changes in bone mineral density (BMD), an important measure of osteoporosis risk. The study found that tea drinkers had slightly higher total hip BMD than women who did not drink tea. Coffee showed a different pattern. Moderate consumption was not associated with harm, but women drinking more than five cups a day had lower bone density. The researchers stress that the differences were modest and do not mean older women need to give up coffee. The reasearch paper, 'Longitudinal Association of Coffee and Tea Consumption with Bone Mineral Density in Older Women: A 10-Year Repeated-Measures Analysis in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures', was written by Ryan Yan Liu and Enwu Liu and published in Nutrients in November 2025.

TEA DRINKERS HAD SLIGHTLY HIGHER BONE DENSITY

The researchers used data from the 'Study of Osteoporotic Fractures' and repeatedly tracked participants' coffee and tea consumption. They also measured bone mineral density at the hip and femoral neck, areas closely associated with fracture risk. Researchers also used advanced imaging techniques to track changes in participants’ bone density over time. Women who drank tea showed slightly higher bone mineral density (BMD) at the total hip compared with those who did not drink tea. Although the difference was small, it was statistically significant. Adjunct Associate Professor Enwu Liu said even small improvements in bone density could potentially translate into fewer fractures when considered across large populations.


MORE THAN FIVE CUPS OF COFFEE WAS LINKED TO LOWER BMD

Coffee produced a more complicated result. Drinking about two to three cups per day was not associated with harm to bone health. However, women who consumed more than five cups daily had lower BMD. The researchers also found that other lifestyle factors appeared to influence the relationship. The negative association between coffee and bone density was stronger among women with higher lifetime alcohol consumption. Ryan Yan Liu, co-author of the study, noted that tea contains catechins, compounds that may support bone formation and slow bone breakdown. Caffeine, meanwhile, has been shown in laboratory studies to affect calcium absorption and bone metabolism, although the effects are small and can be offset by adding milk.

RESEARCHERS SAY THE FINDINGS ARE MODEST

The study does not suggest that coffee is inherently bad for bones or that tea can prevent osteoporosis. The researchers emphasized that the differences they observed were modest and were not large enough to justify major changes to individual drinking habits. For older women, the message is less about choosing coffee over tea and more about moderation. The researchers say moderate coffee consumption appears safe, while very high intake may not be ideal, particularly for women who drink alcohol. Tea, meanwhile, showed a small association with higher hip bone density. Still, the researchers stressed that calcium and vitamin D remain cornerstones of bone health.

The study does not prove that tea strengthens bones or that excessive coffee directly causes bone loss. Instead, it adds to research exploring how everyday beverage choices may relate to healthy aging. For now, a daily cup of tea may offer a small potential benefit, while drinking coffee in moderation remains reasonable based on these findings.