Tuesday 29 September 2015

BONES



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!