Older women who drank tea had slightly higher hip bone density than those who did not, according to a Flinders University study reported by ScienceDaily in September 2026. The research, published in the journal Nutrients, drew on the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, following nearly 10,000 women aged 65 and older for 10 years with repeated measures of beverage intake and bone mineral density at the total hip and femoral neck.
The difference for tea drinkers was small but statistically significant, and appeared somewhat more pronounced among women with obesity. Moderate coffee intake, about two to three cups a day, was not associated with harm to bone health.
The researchers stressed that the differences were modest and not large enough to justify major changes to daily habits. As an observational study, it shows an association, not that tea itself strengthens bones, so it is best read as a small piece of a wider picture of diet and bone health.