The Impact of Tea Consumption on Prediabetes Regression and Progression: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Lifestyle modifications are pivotal to preventing the progression of prediabetes and associated cardiometabolic diseases. Recent evidence from cross-sectional analysis of community-dwelling Chinese adults suggests that regular consumption of tea, particularly dark tea, is associated with a reduced risk of both prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. However, the effects of tea consumption on prediabetes progression and regression remain uncertain. This study investigated the associations of tea consumption with prediabetes progression and regression in Chinese adults with prediabetes. Methods: A cohort of 2662 Chinese adults with prediabetes was followed over ~3 years. Baseline tea consumption, including the type (green, black, dark, or other) and frequency (daily, sometimes, or nil), was assessed using standardized questionnaires. Prediabetes was defined according to the American Diabetes Association criteria. Multinomial logistic and linear regression analyses with multivariable adjustment was performed to evaluate associations. Results: Compared to non-tea drinkers, dark tea consumers were less likely to progress to type 2 diabetes (odds ratio [OR]: 0.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.11, 0.72, p = 0.01), whereas green tea consumption was associated with a reduced probability of regressing to normoglycemia (OR: 0.73, 95 CI%: 0.59, 0.90, p = 0.01). Conclusions: These findings support further exploration of dark tea consumption as a strategy to reduce prediabetes progression, and suggest that effects of green tea consumption should also be examined more closely in this population.