Green Tea May Boost Bone Health

           Sipping green tea may help you build strong bones, a new study suggests.
           For the study, scientists treated a group of bone-forming cells (known as "osteoblasts") with three types of green tea extracts: epigallocatechin (EGC), gallocatechin, and gallocatechin gallate. In several days of treatment, EGC accelerated the activity of an enzyme known to stimulate bone growth. What's more, EGC inhibited the activity of osteoclasts (cells shown to weaken bones).
          Keeping your bones strong as you age is important for preventing osteoporosis, a condition that affects one in six women and one in eight men over the age of fifty. Following a diet rich in calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K - as well as getting regular exercise - can help reduce your risk of osteoporosis.
          Not only promising as a natural bone-builder, green tea may help guard against stroke, gum disease, and some forms of cancer, according to previous studies.