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Association Between Coffee and Tea Consumption and Biological Age Acceleration: Evidence from the UK Biobank Study
Ruiye Chen1,2,3, Mayinuer Yusufu1,2, Jiahao Liu1,2
1Centre for Eye Research Australia, Ophthalmology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Ophthalmic Epidemiology
|March 23, 2026
Summary
Tea consumption is linked to slower biological aging, as indicated by a smaller retinal age gap. Coffee intake showed no significant association with accelerated aging in this large-scale study.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Gerontology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Accelerated biological aging is a risk factor for age-related diseases.
- The retinal age gap, a measure of accelerated aging, can be assessed using retinal imaging.
- Dietary factors, such as coffee and tea consumption, may influence the aging process.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between coffee and tea consumption and accelerated aging.
- To determine if coffee or tea intake influences the retinal age gap, an indicator of biological aging.
Main Methods:
- A large cohort study involving 35,740 participants was conducted.
- Coffee and tea consumption data were collected via questionnaire.
- Linear regression models and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were used to analyze the association between beverage intake and retinal age gap.
Main Results:
- Coffee consumption was not significantly associated with the retinal age gap.
- Tea consumption showed an inverse association with the retinal age gap (β = -0.03).
- Higher tea consumption (over 4 cups/day) was linked to a smaller retinal age gap (β = -0.22).
Conclusions:
- Tea consumption is associated with a slower biological aging process, as evidenced by a reduced retinal age gap.
- Tea intake may be a modifiable dietary factor influencing biological aging.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms behind tea's potential anti-aging effects.
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