A Taiwanese survey has found that drinking tea helps prevent osteoporosis in elderly women.
The National Cheng Kung University Hospital surveyed 368 women above the age of 65 to try to find out if their lifestyle had an impact on their bone density. 60 out of 368 women, whose average age was 74, had the habit of drinking tea while 308 women seldom drank tea, Dr. Chang Yin-Fan, one of the five doctors who conducted the survey, said.
Among those who drank tea, 28 women (46.7%) had osteoporosis compared to 195 (63.3%) of the non-tea drinkers, he said. The study corroborates findings by Chinese and Western scientists that drinking green tea is good for health and helps prevent many illnesses.
According to the study, certain ingredients in green tea play a role in reducing the incidence of osteoporosis. "Fluoride slows the loss of bone mass while flavonoid improves the bone mass. Two other substances of green tea, polyphenol and tannin, also help improve bone mass," Chang said.
Chang refuted some doctors' warning that drinking tea could cause osteoporosis as caffeine promotes the excretion of calcium through urine. "We think polyphenol and tannin in green tea offset the effect of caffeine," he said.
Osteoporosis, or porous bone, is the most common type of bone disease. It is caused by the loss of bone density, making it easier for elderly people to have hip, wrist or vertebral fractures. Doctors at the National Cheng Kung University Hospital conducted the survey among women in Tianliao village in Kaohsiung Country, sounthern Taiwan.
(Source adapted from The Sun newspaper in April 2011)
So, after reading the article above, would you like to have a cup of tea?! As for me, I will have my tea everyday! :)
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