Skelly and I love a good cup of green tea for it's flavor and for bone health.  Just taking a break and brewing a mug is a great way for me to slow down and de-stress. I look at my tea break as a mindfulness practice. I sip it peacefully and deliberately.  I feel the warmth of the cup as I embrace those precious moments of just being present and still.

But these tea breaks aren’t just for me.  One very special tea also makes my Skelly stronger.  I’m talking about green tea.

You’ve probably already heard about the health benefits of green tea.  Studies show it protects your brain, reduces the risk for certain cancers, lowers the risk of diabetes, and improves mood. All of those benefits are thanks to compounds in tea called polyphenols and catechins.  

Promising Research

Now promising new research is looking at green tea’s effect on bone mineral density and fracture risk.  

In 2011 researchers looked at a large number of animal studies and one human study of postmenopausal women (1).  They found positive connections between green tea compounds and 

• bone mineralization
• bone loss linked to aging 
• bone loss from estrogen deficiency, 
• bone loss due to chronic inflammation, 
• bone loss due to obesity. 

In another meta-analysis in 2017 (2), researchers noted that dozens of studies support the link between green tea compounds and a decreased risk of osteoporosis.  They also found fewer hip fractures in men, increased bone density in obese patients, and much more.

Just last year a mouse cell study showed that green tea helped inhibit bone breakdown (3).  

What does this mean for your bones? 

Studies recommend enjoying up to 3 or 4 cups of green tea a day to get the bone effects as well as the other proven health benefits.  I drink 12 ounces (a mug size). I cup = 8 ounces.

Consider making your tea break a mindful practice.  It will help you reduce stress and that protects your bones, too.  

When brewing green tea, choose a good quality loose tea if you can. Tea bags are a 20th century invention.  That’s not the way tea was meant to be enjoyed. I would also skip the tea ball. Tea leaves are most happy and willing to give off their flavors and nutrients when left to move about freely in the pot. 

Rishi makes a lovely organic green tea.

Don’t worry too much about the caffeine.  Green tea -- even when brewed at its strongest - contains only 1/3 of the caffeine found in coffee. You can reduce the caffeine content further if you brew the tea leaves for a few seconds, pour off some water, then brew the same tea leaves again. 

Further, because green tea actually leans towards alkalinity (4), acidity will not be a concern at all.

Other article you might like:

The body breathes us

From my bones to yours,

Irma Jennings, INHC
Osteoporosis Patient Navigator

References:

(1) Green Tea and Bone Health: Evidence from Laboratory Studies

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3123403/?report=classic

(2) Association between tea consumption and osteoporosis: A meta-analysis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5728912/?report=classic

(3) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332219323893

(4) https://www.drrusselljaffe.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/dr.-russell-jaffe-alkaline-chart.png