Keep Your Aging Bones Healthy With These 5 Hydrating Iced Tea Recipes

Warm weather, sunshine, and a big ol’ pitcher of iced tea are three non-negotiables we need to kick off a prime summer outing. While the temperature and cloud coverage will continue to (sadly) remain outside of our control, we can assuredly say that we’ll be in charge of bringing the best cooling beverages perfect for poolside sipping. Not only will these ice tea recipes help keep you hydrated on a hot, sunny day, but they’re also a powerful way to keep your bones strong as you age.

Yep, you heard that right: Milk isn’t the only one that gets to rule the good-for-your-bones show around here. Research shows that drinking one cup of tea (like oolong, black, and green) a day has been linked to keeping your bones—and almost every other bodily system—healthy and strong.

“The major bone benefits of drinking tea are due to its powerful antioxidants such as polyphenols, catechins, and flavonoids,” says Sue Xiao Yu, MS, RD, CDN, CDE, a clinical nutritionist and registered dietitian at the Hospital for Special Surgery, told Well+Good. “The potent polyphenols found in tea have shown to help increase bone mineralization, delay bone mineral density reduction, and increase the levels of vitamin D in your body.” Yu also says that the catechins found in tea help protect bone-building cells in the body, while flavonoids have estrogen-like properties that can help prevent bone loss.

Sold? We’re spilling all of the tea with these five super hydrating, bone-boosting summer beverages that are great for your whole body.

5 hydrating iced tea recipes great for bone health

1. Grilled Peach and Basil Arnold Palmer

If you were the kid that spent far too much time at the soda fountain making your own sweet summer concoction, this recipe grilled peach and basil Arnold Palmer recipe by Half Baked Harvest is for you. It calls for just a few ingredients, including black tea, lemon juice, and grilled, caramelized peaches that come together to form a fruity beverage that’s perfect for drinking over a heaping serving of ice on a hot day. BTW, this Arnold Palmer is naturally sweetened with a soothing mix of honey and the sweetness of the grilled peaches, making it free of any refined sugars.

Get the recipe: Grilled Peach and Basil Arnold Palmer

2. Oolong Peach Iced Tea

If you’re starting to pick up on a peachy tea trend here, you’re 100 percent right. With peach season in full swing from May through late September, we figured we should get the most out of this sweet stonefruit while we can. Case in point? This delicious oolong peach iced tea recipe by Plant Based Jess. Made with just four ingredients, whipping up a batch of this refreshing iced tea really couldn’t be any easier. Yeah, it’s pretty much like a peach cobbler in a cup.

Get the recipe: Oolong Peach Iced Tea

3. Lemon Ginger Jasmine Iced Tea

This anti-inflammatory lemon ginger jasmine iced tea recipe by Minimalist Baker features zesty lemons, spicy ginger, and soothing jasmine green tea for a bright and energizing beverage made for sipping poolside. Aside from green tea’s bone-strengthening potential, it’s also an antioxidant-packed drink that helps decrease cardiovascular health problems and is filled with L-theanine that can help boost your mood. I’m sold.

Get the recipe: Lemon Ginger Jasmine Iced Tea

4. Blackberry Iced Tea

Between the vibrant magenta color and the delicious fruit, this blackberry iced tea recipe by Cooking For My Soul is one you’ll want to play on repeat all summer long. The easy drink features English breakfast tea, aka a mixture of black teas, lemon, and mint for a refreshing beverage to wash down the grilled veggie skewers, potato chips, and the rest of the summertime BBQ feast that makes an appearance this time of the year.

Get the recipe: Blackberry Iced Tea

5. Strawberry Milk Matcha Latte

If a creamy latte is always your vibe, this strawberry milk matcha latte by Half Baked Harvest will do the trick. It combines two of our favorite ingredients in one hydrating and energizing beverage: matcha and strawberries. To make this drink arguably better than a standard matcha latte, it calls for a strawberry jam-infused milk that swirls together with the bright green matcha for a stunning (and delicious) drink. Snapping pictures of it is highly necessary.

Get the recipe: Strawberry Milk Matcha Latte

Keep dehydration far, far away this summer with these top hydrating foods an RD loves: