Good news! Tea is good
for bones……
If, like me, you enjoy a daily cuppa or two, you may be
surprised to learn that tea is good for bones! Our love of the humble tea leaf
may lead to better bone mineral density (BMD).
Recent studies have shown that there appears to be a correlation
between tea drinking and improved BMD among women in the UK. And it doesn't
matter if you only drink one to three cups or more than four a day, the same
positive benefits can be seen.
The study published by the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition was conducted in Britain with a focus on older women, 1256 women
between the ages of 65 and 76 participated and were classified as Tea or Non
Tea drinkers based on a questionnaire they completed. The researchers measured
bone mass density of various body parts. Compared to Non Tea drinkers Tea
drinkers had on average 5% higher BMD adjusted for age and BMI. The researchers
attributed this to the flavenoids and other healthy nutrients found in tea and
also suggested that the flavenoids may protect against osteoporosis.
Another study undertaken by Chinese researchers showed that
people who drank two to three cups of tea a day were 37% less likely to suffer
a fracture. So drinking tea regularly
could stop you from breaking a hip as well as help to keep osteoporosis at bay.
As well as flavenoids, tea contains fluoride, calcium and other
minerals which help to make bones denser and stronger. The flavenoids speed up
the building of new bone as well as slowing down the erosion of existing bone
whilst the other nutrients strengthen the bone.
Good news indeed, when you consider that hip fractures alone
cost the UK £2.3 billion a year in health and social costs. In total
there are around 300,000 hip, wrist, spine and other bones broken each year.
And when you take into account the 3 million Britons who have osteoporosis,
weakened bones take a heavy toll on health.
Anything that helps to keep bones strong and healthy could have
a massive impact!
So which is the best tea to drink to keep your bones strong and
healthy?
Green and white teas, made from un-oxidised leaves, are the
least processed teas and so contain higher amounts of the healthy nutrients as
compared to other teas. Long Jing,
Jasmine Pearls, Anji White, White Peony, and Silver Needle all fall into this category of tea and have fantastic
health benefits. Organic tea and tea
from pesticide free tea farms are considered to be of the highest quality.
And remember to brew high quality loose leaf tea rather than tea
bags. Drinking tea brewed from high
quality loose leaves contain a higher amount of healthy nutrients than that of
the tea bag.
So go ahead, brew yourself a nice cup of tea, enjoy the fine
delicate taste, and help to strengthen your bones and perhaps even prevent you
from breaking a hip!
