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Regular consumption of chocolate could weaken bone density and strength, which could in turn increase the risk of osteoporosis.

According to a new study, women who eat chocolate daily have an overall bone density 3.1 percent lower than those who consume it less than once a week. More than 1,000 women aged 70-85 were asked to keep a diary of how often they consumed chocolate or cocoa-based drinks.

The researchers did not distinguish between types of chocolate consumed.


Even though chocolate contains flavonols and calcium, both of which are linked to a positive effect on bone density, it also contains oxalate, an inhibitor of calcium absorption, and sugar, which is linked to calcium excretion.


This study comes less than a month after British medical journal the Lancet warned consumers that manufacturers usually remove the healthy element -- the flavonols.
http://tinyurl.com/2dhnos

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http://www.ap-foodtechnology.com/new...s.asp?id=82549


Breaking News on Food and Beverage in Asia Pacific


Chocolate linked to weaker bones
By Charlotte Eyre

15/01/2008- New research suggests that regular consumption of chocolate may weaken bone density and strength, which in turn could increase the risk of health problems such as osteoporosis and fracture.

According to the study, published this month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who eat chocolate daily have an overall bone density 3.1 per cent lower than those who consume it less than once a week.

The findings will surely come as a blow to the positive image of dark chocolate, often feted for having its heart-healthy properties.

"Cocoa and chocolate have been promoted as having a range of beneficial cardiovascular properties," said head researcher Jonathan Hodgson, from the University of Western Australia. "But the effect of chocolate intake on other organ systems has not been studied."

link at top for the rest of the story?

For the study, 1,001 women aged 70 - 85 were randomly assigned either oral calcium supplements or a matched placebo for a period of several weeks. During this period they were also asked to keep a dairy of how often they consumed chocolate or cocoa-based drinks.

The researchers did no distinguish between types of chocolate consumed.

At the end of the allotted time Hodgson and his colleagues measured the whole-body and regional bone density and strengh of each participant using X-rays.

The researchers found that the women who ate chocolate less than once a week had significantly stronger bones than those who consumed the treat on a daily basis, with calcium supplementation having little effect on the results.

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Tea drinking is associated with benefits on bone density in older women.Devine A, Hodgson JM, **** IM, Prince RL.
Nutrition Program, School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Science, Edith Cowan University, 100 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup WA 6027 Australia. a.devine@ecu.edu.au

BACKGROUND: Impaired hip structure assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) areal bone mineral density (aBMD) is an independent predictor for osteoporotic hip fracture. Some studies suggest that tea intake may protect against bone loss. OBJECTIVE: Using both cross-sectional and longitudinal study designs, we examined the relation of tea consumption with hip structure. DESIGN: Randomly selected women (n = 1500) aged 70-85 y participated in a 5-y prospective trial to evaluate whether oral calcium supplements prevent osteoporotic fractures. aBMD at the hip was measured at years 1 and 5 with DXA. A cross-sectional analysis of 1027 of these women at 5 y assessed the relation of usual tea intake, measured by using a questionnaire, with aBMD. A prospective analysis of 164 women assessed the relation of tea intake at baseline, measured by using a 24-h dietary recall, with change in aBMD from years 1 to 5. RESULTS: In the cross-sectional analysis, total hip aBMD was 2.8% greater in tea drinkers (x: 806; 95% CI: 797, 815 mg/cm(2)) than in non-tea drinkers (784; 764, 803 mg/cm(2)) (P < 0.05). In the prospective analysis over 4 y, tea drinkers lost an average of 1.6% of their total hip aBMD (-32; -45, -19 mg/cm(2)), but non-tea drinkers lost 4.0% (-13; -20, -5 mg/cm(2)) (P < 0.05). Adjustment for covariates did not influence the interpretation of results. CONCLUSION: Tea drinking is associated with preservation of hip structure in elderly women. This finding provides further evidence of the beneficial effects of tea consumption on the skeleton.

PMID: 17921409 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ractPlusDrugs1

http://www.tealaden.com/teaweb/health/curingcup.htm

if you read too many studies you will still wonder what's the deal?

link to more studies:
http://www.tealaden.com/teaweb/health/health.htm