Consumption of three cups of tea a day can significantly reduce the risk of hip fractures , according to a study.
Researchers believe that this finding may be very useful in the fight against osteoporosis , in which bones become brittle. According to them, the flavonoids in black tea are the "culprits" that can help older people.
Researchers have long believed that these antioxidants are useful in reducing the risk of serious diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disorders .
Women who use steroid medications, smoke, consume large amounts of alcohol and have a family history of osteoporosis are at greatest risk of developing osteoporosis .
Diet and unhealthy eating habits in youth are also crucial. It is believed that they may increase the risk of developing the disease later in life.
It progresses when the number of osteoclasts exceeds that of osteoblasts . Osteoclasts are cells that destroy bones by depriving them of calcium and phosphorus , which give them strength. Osteoblasts are responsible for the growth of new bone tissue.
Usually immediately after the destruction of bone tissue by osteoclasts, the construction of a new side of osteoblasts begins. After about 35 years of age, there are fewer cells in the body than bone-destroying cells. Then osteoporosis develops . This significantly increases the risk of fractures in the joints.
The researchers based their study on data from reports that tea consumption can improve bone density . In it, they aim to determine whether consumption in larger quantities can reduce fractures among older women.
Nearly 1,200 women, around the age of 70, are taking part. They are traced for a period of 10 years. During this time, 288 women suffered falls with broken bones. Among about half of them there is a fracture in the hip joint .
It turns out that those who drank three or more cups of tea a day were 30% less likely to suffer a fracture than participants who drank less than a cup of tea a week.
In the data published in the pages of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , experts point out that each cup of tea that women consume reduces the risk of fracture by about 9%.