The influence of tea consumption on gut microbiota: evidence from a genome-wide association study

Tea is a widely consumed beverage with reported effects on metabolic diseases and gut health; however, its causal relationship with the gut microbiota remains unclear. This study explores this association using Mendelian randomization (MR). Genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from the UK Biobank and the MiBioGen consortium were used. Forty-one single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with tea consumption were selected as instrumental variables. Mendelian randomization analyses were conducted using inverse-variance weighting, MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and simple mode methods. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q test, and pleiotropy was evaluated using MR-Egger regression and Mendelian randomization pleiotropy residual sum and outlier analysis (MR-PRESSO).

Tea consumption showed significant causal associations with ten gut microbiota taxa. Positive associations were found with Actinobacteria (β = 0.283, P = 0.028), Alphaproteobacteria (β = 0.317, P = 0.045), Coriobacteriia (β = 0.277, P = 0.018), Coriobacteriales (β = 0.277, P = 0.018), Rhodospirillales (β = 0.343, P = 0.040), Coriobacteriaceae (β = 0.277, P = 0.018), Rhodospirillaceae (β = 0.336, P = 0.048), Catenibacterium (β = 0.783, P = 0.009), and Enterorhabdus (β = 0.345, P = 0.039). A negative association was observed with Lachnospiraceae UCG010 (β = -0.324, P = 0.009). No significant heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy was detected.

Tea consumption may promote host health by modulating gut microbiota composition, supporting its application in precision nutrition and microbiota-targeted interventions. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.