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Tea Consumption and Type 2 Diabetes: Findings from the Prospective UK Biobank Cohort Study
Lu Gan1, Dinghao Zheng1, Bin Zhao1
1National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha; CSU‑Sinocare Research Center for Nutrition and Metabolic Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University; Furong Laboratory, Hunan, China.
Drinking more cups of tea daily is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, artificially sweetened tea consumption shows an increased risk for T2D, suggesting tea can be part of a healthy diet.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Metabolic Disease Research
- Public Health
Background:
- Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a growing global health concern.
- Dietary habits, including tea consumption, are being investigated for their role in T2D prevention.
- Genetic predisposition may influence the relationship between lifestyle factors and T2D risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between tea consumption and type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk.
- To determine if genetic susceptibility modifies this association.
- To explore metabolic biomarkers as potential mediators of the tea-T2D relationship.
Main Methods:
- A large-scale cohort analysis of 382,946 UK Biobank participants.
- Utilized Cox proportional hazards regression models to assess T2D risk.
- Examined effect modification by genetic susceptibility and mediation by biomarkers.
Main Results:
- Higher tea consumption (2+ cups/day) was associated with a reduced risk of T2D (HRs ranging from 0.86 to 0.93).
- This inverse association was consistent across genetic susceptibility groups.
- Artificially sweetened tea consumption was positively associated with T2D risk.
Conclusions:
- Increased tea consumption is linked to decreased T2D risk, independent of genetics.
- Artificially sweetened tea consumption is associated with increased T2D risk.
- Tea may be a beneficial component of a healthy diet for T2D primary prevention.
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