Tea drinkers have strong bones.

Tea has risen to a new standard for vices--it appears to be very good for you. Previous research has associated tea drinking with lower rates of heart disease and cancer (see Running & FitNews, March 2001). This new study attributes significantly higher bone density to lifetime tea drinkers. Over a thousand men and women were questioned about their tea consumption and other lifestyle habits. Measurements of bone mineral density were taken of the total body and specific sites including the lumbar spine and hip.

Nearly half of the participants were habitual tea drinkers. Compared to their tea-less counterparts, bone mineral density increased with duration of tea consumption. Those drinking tea for 10 years or more enjoyed the highest bone density, by as much as five percent, after controlling for all other variables. Compounds in tea, including flouride, phytoestrogens, and flavonoids may be responsible for the health benefits of tea, resulting in high marks for the humble brew--giving you a good reason to trade off some of those lattes for tea.

Osteoporosis remains a serious health problem, especially for post-menopausal women. Be sure to keep these tried and true standard prevention practices in mind. Eat a well-balanced diet, include a calcium supplement and vitamin D, get plenty of weight-bearing exercise such as running, and medications such as Fosamax[R] and Miacalcin[R] for those with low bone density.

(Archives of Internal Medicine, 2002, Vol. 162, No. 9, pp. 1001-1006)