If you’re a woman who regularly reaches for coffee throughout the day, you may want to think twice about that next cup — or consider switching to tea.Researchers at Flinders University reported in a study published in the journal Nutrients that high coffee consumption may be associated with lower bone mineral density (BMD) in older, postmenopausal women.COFFEE MAY HAVE POWERFUL EFFECT ON LIVER HEALTH, MAJOR STUDY SUGGESTSThe scientists analyzed coffee and tea consumption among 9,704 women age 65 and older over a 10-year period.During that time, they also measured participants’ BMD at the femoral neck and hip — areas where osteoporosis-related fractures commonly occur.The researchers found that drinking tea was associated with higher total hip BMD, while drinking more than five cups of coffee per day was associated with lower BMD.Drinking more than five cups of coffee per day was associated with lower bone mineral density in older women, according to the study.
(iStock)Moderate coffee consumption — about two to three cups a day — was not associated with negative effects on bone health.The study also identified differences based on other health and lifestyle factors.Coffee consumption was associated with lower femoral neck BMD among women with higher alcohol intake, while the positive association between tea and bone density was more pronounced among women with obesity.CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWSThe researchers wrote that osteoporosis, which is characterized by low BMD, "is a major global public health concern affecting individuals across all ages, genders and ethnicities."About one in three women and one in five men age 50 and older worldwide experience osteoporosis-related fractures, according to the study.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERWomen face a particularly high risk because they generally have lower bone mass and experience accelerated bone loss after menopause.In the U.S., the number of adults age 50 and older with low ...