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The relationship between green tea consumption and happiness
Megumi Shibata1,2, Toshiyuki Ojima3, Jun Aida4
1Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Chuo-Ku, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan. yoshisatoyui8888@gmail.com.
Scientific Reports
|November 21, 2025
Summary
Drinking green tea is linked to greater happiness in older adults. Even after accounting for social connections, higher green tea intake correlated with increased well-being and happiness scores.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Limited research exists on the relationship between green tea consumption and psychological well-being in large populations.
- Previous studies have not simultaneously examined green tea intake, social capital, and happiness.
- Psychological stress reduction has been suggested as a potential benefit of green tea components.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between green tea consumption and well-being in older adults.
- To determine if green tea intake correlates with happiness, independent of social network size.
- To analyze the impact of green tea consumption on happiness scores while controlling for confounding factors.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (2016).
- Survey administered to 34,567 community-dwelling residents aged 65 and older.
- Multivariate linear regression used to assess the relationship between green tea intake, social network size, and happiness scores (1-10 scale).
Main Results:
- Increased number of friends was significantly associated with increased happiness.
- Higher green tea intake was positively correlated with higher happiness scores.
- Individuals drinking 4+ cups of green tea daily showed a 0.23 point increase in happiness compared to non-drinkers (p=0.032).
Conclusions:
- Higher green tea consumption is associated with increased happiness in older adults.
- The positive association between green tea intake and happiness persists even after adjusting for social network size and other covariates.
- Findings suggest green tea may be a beneficial dietary component for promoting well-being in the elderly population.
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