Study links more than five daily coffees to lower bone density in women 65 and older

ADELAIDE, Australia - Women 65 and older who drank more than five cups of coffee a day had lower bone mineral density at the hip than lighter coffee drinkers, according to a Flinders University analysis covered by Fox News and summarized by ScienceDaily.

Researchers tracked 9,704 postmenopausal women for 10 years using data from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. They measured bone density at the femoral neck and total hip, sites where osteoporosis fractures often occur, and recorded coffee and tea habits over the decade. Findings were published in the journal Nutrients.

Tea drinkers showed slightly higher total hip bone density than women who did not drink tea. The difference was small but statistically significant. Adjunct Associate Professor Enwu Liu said even small gains can mean fewer fractures when applied across large groups.

Moderate coffee intake of about two to three cups a day was not linked to worse bone measures. The concern centered on very high intake. Women above five cups a day showed lower density. The coffee link was stronger among women with higher lifetime alcohol use. The tea benefit looked clearer among women with obesity.

Co-author Ryan Liu said tea catechins may support bone formation and slow breakdown. Laboratory work has shown caffeine can interfere with calcium absorption and bone metabolism, though those effects are small and may be offset by adding milk, he said.

Liu cautioned that the results do not mean women must quit coffee or drink tea by the gallon. They suggest moderate tea may be a simple habit that supports bone health, while habitual very high coffee intake may not be ideal for older women watching fracture risk.

The study is observational and cannot prove coffee causes bone loss. Bone health still rests on calcium, vitamin D, weight-bearing activity, fall prevention and medical treatment when density is low. Women with osteoporosis or prior fractures should discuss beverage habits with their clinician rather than make sudden changes alone.