A Mild Causal Relationship Between Tea Consumption and Obesity in General Population: A Two-Sample Mendelian...

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Genetic Epidemiology
• Obesity Research

Background:

• Observational studies on tea consumption and obesity lack conclusive evidence.
• Mendelian randomization (MR) offers a method to explore causal links.
• Understanding tea's role in obesity requires robust analytical approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the causal association between tea consumption and obesity.
• To utilize a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.
• To leverage large-scale, general population-based datasets for genetic analysis.

Main Methods:

• Employed a two-sample MR design using genome-wide association study (GWAS) data.
• Identified 91 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as genetic instruments for tea consumption.
• Analyzed causal effects on obesity using five MR methods, including Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW).

Main Results:

• The IVW method indicated a statistically significant but weak inverse causal effect of tea consumption on obesity (OR = 0.998).
• Other MR methods did not confirm this association, suggesting a marginal effect.
• No significant heterogeneity or pleiotropy was detected, supporting the IVW result.

Conclusions:

• Tea consumption may have a minimal causal impact on obesity control.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate tea's specific effects on obesity-related conditions.
• The findings highlight the complexity of dietary factors and their genetic underpinnings in obesity.