Can Drinking Tea Reduce Fracture Risk in Older Women?
New research finds a connection between drinking black tea and a much lower risk of fractures in older women.
In a study of 1,188 women with a mean age of 75, investigators found that participants in the Calcium Intake Fracture Outcome Study who drank at least 3 cups of tea a day showed a 34% lower risk of developing a serious osteoporotic fracture, and a 42% less chance of sustaining a hip fracture.
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At baseline, participants in the study replied to a food frequency and beverage intake questionnaire, the results of which the authors used to estimate patients’ flavonoid intake. According to the researchers, three-quarters of the participants’ flavonoid intake came from tea, and women were divided into 3 groups: those who drank up to 1 cup of week (204 women), those who consumed 1 to 3 cups daily (357 women), and those who drank more than 3 cups per day (627 women).
In total, 288 women, or 24.2%, were hospitalized for osteoporotic fractures during the mean follow-up period of 10 years. For each 1 cup per day increase in tea intake, the authors saw a 9% decrease in the risk of a serious osteoporotic fracture, although this decline was no longer significant after adjustment for bone-mineral density. In addition, 17.8% of women experienced a major osteoporotic fracture, with 10.9% sustaining a hip fracture. In comparison to women in the group with the lowest intake of flavonoid intake, women in the highest group showed a much lower risk of major osteoporotic fracture (15% compared to 20%).
“Previous studies, including our own, have demonstrated a beneficial effect of tea, a major source of dietary flavonoids, on bone structure, wrote Richard Prince, MBChB, BSc, MD, MRCP (UK), FRACP, a professor of medicine at the University of Western Australia, who presented the findings at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2015 Annual Meeting, held Oct. 9 - 12 in Seattle, Wash.
While noting the difficulty of changing individuals’ tea-drinking habits as part of a study, Prince told the audience that “some brave person needs to undertake a proper, randomized controlled trial of tea intake” and its impact on bone health.
—Mark McGraw
Reference
Prince R, Myers G, Hodgson J, et al. Prevention of osteoporotic fractures by black tea consumption. Paper presented at: The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Annual Meeting; Oct. 9-12, 2015; Seattle.