Tea consumption and bone health in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective The impact of tea on bone health in postmenopausal women has generated conflicting opinions. The current study pooled previous research to evaluate the relationship between tea consumption and bone health in postmenopausal women. Methods Relevant papers published before October 2024 were included by conducting a comprehensive literature search in the Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and The Cochrane Library databases. Observational studies reporting the association between tea consumption and bone mineral density (BMD) or the risk of osteoporosis and fractures in women after menopause were deemed eligible. The weighted mean difference (WMD) for BMD and the pooled odds ratio (OR) for osteoporosis and fractures were calculated, together with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results The meta-analysis examined 18 studies with a total of 48,615 individuals. The combined results indicated that postmenopausal women who consumed tea had higher BMD at several skeletal sites, including the lumbar spine (WMD, 0.02; 95% CI, 0.01-0.04; P < 0.001), greater trochanter (WMD, 0.02; 95% CI, 0.02-0.03; P < 0.001), femoral neck (WMD, 0.01; 95% CI, 0.00-0.02; P = 0.049), and ward's triangle (WMD, 0.02; 95% CI, 0.01-0.03; P = 0.002). Additionally, these women had a lower risk of osteoporosis (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.26-0.67; P < 0.001) and fracture (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.67-0.98; P = 0.031). Conclusions The findings of this meta-analysis suggest that postmenopausal women who regularly consumed tea saw an increase in BMD and a decreased likelihood of developing osteoporosis and experiencing fractures. Future research should give priority to conducting prospective cohort studies with a more stringent methodology to verify the dose-response connection between tea consumption and the risk of osteoporosis or fracture in postmenopausal women.