Description: New Australian research suggests that having a cuppa (tea, that is) may help strengthen older women's hips.

"This study suggests that drinking tea in moderation can actually benefit your bones," said lead researcher Amanda Devine, a senior lecturer in the nutrition program at the School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Science, Edith Cowan University, and adjunct senior lecturer at the University of Western Australia's School of Medicine and Pharmacology, in Perth.

"Those who drank tea in the study had a higher bone density over the four years that they were studied," she said. "These women lost less bone than those who did not drink tea. More than three-quarters of the women drank tea daily, and they consumed on average about three cups per day."

Outside experts called the findings intriguing but still preliminary.

"Some tea may be potentially helpful," said Paul Brandt, an associate professor of neuroscience and experimental therap