Dear Friends,
Last year, we tackled a hot question: Is caffeine ruining your bones?
And I shared the good news that, for most people, moderate coffee consumption is unlikely to be harmful, especially if you're meeting your calcium needs.
But I also mentioned that too much caffeine could be a concern — especially for postmenopausal women or anyone not getting enough calcium.
Well, fast-forward to now, a new study recently dropped that adds more clarity — and some surprising nuance. It looked at both coffee and tea consumption and how they relate to bone mineral density, or BMD.
So in this letter, we’ll revisit the question with updated science, clear guidance, and a few simple tips you can use to protect your bones without giving up your daily cup of joe.
So let’s get into it.
10 Years of Data Analyzed
The new study was published in the journal Nutrients and analyzed 10 years of data from about 9,700 women over the age of 65.
Here’s the short version of what they found: after 10 years, on average, tea drinkers had higher bone mineral density compared to non-tea drinkers.
Coffee drinkers, on average, showed no major changes in bone density — unless they drank a lot.
In high-consumption coffee groups, defined as five or more cups per day, women had
lower bone density scores measured at the spine.
In other words: tea may help, and too much coffee might hurt.
This lines up nicely with what I said last time: moderation for coffee and caffeine intake is key.
The researchers noted that tea polyphenols — especially flavonoids in green, white, and black tea — appear to support bone-building activity and help slow bone loss.
As you may know, coffee typically contains significantly more caffeine that tea, and higher levels of caffeine intake may interfere with calcium absorption and bone metabolism.
This can reduce calcium retention and increase urinary calcium excretion (that’s science-speak for “you might pee out more calcium than you should”).
Looking at the Big Picture
Caffeine can affect calcium absorption, but the impact is small — about 4 to 6 mg of calcium lost per 100 mg of caffeine. That’s roughly the amount of caffeine in one cup of coffee.
The National Institutes of Health and other expert groups agree: for most healthy adults, up to 300 mg of caffeine a day is generally not a concern for bone health.
But problems may arise if you:
- Drink 4 or more cups of coffee a day
- Don’t consume enough calcium, vitamin D and other bone-supporting nutrients like vitamin K2
- Or are in a higher-risk group, like individuals with lower than optimal bone density
And if your calcium intake is already borderline? That extra coffee might tip the scales in the wrong direction.
One other tidbit from the study - women with higher alcohol intake appeared particularly vulnerable to coffee’s negative effects.
So if your following up drinking 5 cups of coffee during the day with multiple drinks at night, it’s probably not a good recipe for keeping bones strong as you age – and probably not great for sleeping or some other health concerns either.
On the flip side, tea consumption has shown positive bone health effects in multiple studies.
Green tea in particular is rich in catechins, a type of antioxidant linked to reduced oxidative stress in bone tissue.
A Practical Approach
Now, if you love coffee, as many do, let’s talk practical. Here’s what I suggest:
- Stick to about 1 to 3 cups a day.
- Perhaps add a splash of milk to help offset any calcium loss.
- Take your bone health or calcium supplement product at a different time than your coffee.
If you're drinking more than 3 cups of coffee a day, maybe swap one out for green or white tea, which can support hydration and bone health while still giving you a gentle short term energy lift.
It’s also worth noting that energy drinks or caffeine-packed coffees from your favorite drive-thru can contain 300 mg or more in one serving. So you want to inquire about the caffeine content.
When it comes to bone supplements, we believe that nothing tops our TrueOsteo+ and TrueOsteo formulas — both designed to help support strong, healthy bones.
Most supplements contain calcium from rocks, not plants, which is why they typically only help you slow down bone density loss. This is better than nothing, but still not good enough.
With the plant calcium, magnesium and other supporting nutrients in our TrueOsteo+ and TrueOsteo products, you may be able to actually increase bone density, not just slow down its loss. That’s a big difference.
We also now know that our bodies need much more than calcium and magnesium to maintain strong, healthy bones.
This is why TrueOsteo+ and TrueOsteo also contain plant-based vitamin D3, vitamin K2, and silica (which provides silicon). Many of us struggle to get enough of these nutrients from diet alone.
The “+” in TrueOsteo+ is for the added stress support you get from ashwagandha, which helps keep cortisol in a healthy range. Elevated cortisol can damage bones and disrupt healthy bone formation.
Summary
To wrap up:
Caffeine in moderation? Totally fine for most people.
Excessive coffee? Could be a concern, especially if your calcium intake is low or you also indulge in several drinks with alcohol daily, or regularly.
Tea? Surprisingly bone-friendly, thanks to polyphenols that may support bone-building.
Want to be proactive? Support your diet with a well-rounded bone supplement like TrueOsteo+ or TrueOsteo.
As always, it’s about balance. Your morning coffee doesn’t need to be a villain — but it should be part of a routine that includes enough calcium, vitamin D, and nutrient support.
Yours for Good Health,
Carl Pradelli
P.S. Subscribe to our YouTube channel or podcast to discover more about nutrients that can make a difference in your health!
