No Link Between Caffeine and Loss of Bone Density

Osteoporosis is a frightening prospect for many older women that can require lifestyle and diet changes to reduce the risk of this crippling condition. But the good news is older women don’t have to stop enjoying coffee.

A study to examine the long-term effect of caffeine consumption and risk of bone loss in older women found no association between caffeine intake, even up to eight cups a day, and osteoporosis risk in postmenopausal women. Published in the The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, this study examined the caffeine consumption habits of 138 healthy women age 55 to 70.

All of the women studied had either never used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or had used HRT for less than one year. Conducted by researchers at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine and University Hospital, the study confirmed the findings of previous research indicating that caffeine intake does not affect bone density and osteoporosis in women.

Additionally, researchers examined women who were hormone replacement therapy users as a separate subgroup, and found they also had no increased risk of bone loss.