Skip to main content
. 2020 Jun 4;150(8):2164–2174. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxaa147

TABLE 4.

Associations between tea consumption and cognitive function tests in the UK Biobank

Cups/day N Score6 Model 11 Model 22 Model 33
β (95% CI) P β (95% CI) P β (95% CI) P
Fluid Intelligence4
0 21,274 6.17 ± 2.14 Reference Reference Reference
<1 4355 6.79 ± 2.13 0.61 (0.54, 0.68) <0.0001 0.25 (0.19,0.31) <0.0001 0.24 (0.18, 0.30) <0.0001
1 11,718 6.36 ± 2.13 0.19 (0.14, 0.23) <0.0001 −0.04 (−0.09, −0.0007) 0.05 −0.05 (−0.09, −0.003) 0.04
2–3 41,643 6.23 ± 2.10 0.08 (0.04, 0.11) <0.0001 −0.10 (−0.14, −0.07) <0.0001 −0.11 (−0.14, −0.08) <0.0001
4–5 38,111 6.06 ± 2.10 −0.08 (−0.12, −0.05) <0.0001 −0.16 (−0.19, −0.13) <0.0001 −0.17 (−0.20, −0.14) <0.0001
6–7 18,040 5.99 ± 2.07 −0.15 (−0.19, −0.11) <0.0001 −0.15 (−0.19, −0.11) <0.0001 −0.16 (−0.20, −0.12) <0.0001
≥8 10,822 5.80 ± 2.10 −0.37 (−0.41, −0.32) <0.0001 −0.23 (−0.28, −0.19) <0.0001 −0.24 (−0.29, −0.20) <0.0001
Cups/day, linear trend −0.05 (−0.06, −0.05) <0.0001 −0.03 (−0.03, −0.02) <0.0001 −0.03 (−0.03, −0.03) <0.0001
Reaction Time5
0 65,281 547 ± 105 Reference Reference Reference
<1 13,581 543 ± 103 −3.20 (−5.08, −1.32) 0.0008 0.61 (−1.25, 2.47) 0.52 0.48 (−1.38, 2.35) 0.61
1 36,123 546 ± 104 −1.05 (−2.35, 0.25) 0.11 2.36 (1.07, 3.66) 0.0004 2.24 (0.93, 3.54) 0.0008
2–3 127,074 553 ± 107 1.07 (0.11, 2.03) 0.03 4.19 (3.23, 5.15) <0.0001 4.33 (3.34, 5.32) <0.0001
4–5 114,519 557 ± 108 3.14 (2.16, 4.12) <0.0001 5.04 (4.06, 6.02) <0.0001 5.62 (4.60, 6.64) <0.0001
6–7 53,608 559 ± 108 4.99 (3.83, 6.15) <0.0001 5.83 (4.67, 6.99) <0.0001 6.70 (5.50, 7.91) <0.0001
≥8 31,856 558 ± 109 7.74 (6.38, 9.10) <0.0001 5.48 (4.12, 6.84) <0.0001 6.50 (5.10, 7.90) <0.0001
Cups/day, linear trend 0.95 (0.83, 1.06) <0.0001 0.61 (0.50, 0.73) <0.0001 0.72 (0.61, 0.84) <0.0001
Pairs Matching5
0 64,591 1.41 ± 0.62 Reference Reference Reference
<1 13,436 1.40 ± 0.63 −0.015 (−0.026, −0.003) 0.01 0.004 (−0.007, 0.016) 0.47 0.002 (−0.009, 0.013) 0.70
1 35,783 1.44 ± 0.63 0.019 (0.011, 0.027) <0.0001 0.030 (0.022, 0.038) <0.0001 0.027 (0.019, 0.035) <0.0001
2–3 125,622 1.47 ± 0.62 0.036 (0.030, 0.042) <0.0001 0.044 (0.038, 0.050) <0.0001 0.042 (0.036, 0.0498) <0.0001
4–5 113,091 1.48 ± 0.62 0.042 (0.036, 0.048) <0.0001 0.046 (0.040, 0.052) <0.0001 0.046 (0.040, 0.053) <0.0001
6–7 52,892 1.48 ± 0.62 0.045 (0.038, 0.052) <0.0001 0.046 (0.039, 0.053) <0.0001 0.048 (0.040, 0.055) <0.0001
≥8 31,407 1.48 ± 0.63 0.052 (0.043, 0.060) <0.0001 0.046 (0.038, 0.054) <0.0001 0.048 (0.040, 0.057) <0.0001
Cups/day, linear trend 0.006 (0.005, 0.006) <0.0001 0.004 (0.004, 0.005) <0.0001 0.005 (0.004, 0.005) <0.0001
Symbol Digit Substitution4
0 16,104 20.3 ± 5.2 Reference Reference Reference
<1 4287 20.4 ± 5.1 0.14 (−0.01, 0.30) 0.08 −0.10 (−0.25, 0.05) 0.20 −0.09 (−0.24, 0.06) 0.24
1 9859 20.2 ± 5.1 0.07 (−0.04, 0.19) 0.22 −0.12 (−0.23, −0.004) 0.04 −0.11 (−0.23, 0.002) 0.05
2–3 33,407 19.8 ± 5.1 −0.14 (−0.22, −0.05) 0.002 −0.30 (−0.39, −0.22) <0.0001 −0.31 (−0.40, −0.22) <0.0001
4–5 27,793 19.5 ± 5.2 −0.37 (−0.46, −0.28) <0.0001 −0.45 (−0.54, −0.37) <0.0001 −0.48 (−0.57, −0.39) <0.0001
6–7 12,368 19.3 ± 5.2 −0.54 (−0.65, −0.43) <0.0001 −0.54 (−0.64, −0.43) <0.0001 −0.58 (−0.69, −0.47) <0.0001
≥8 6822 19.4 ± 5.3 −0.72 (−0.86, −0.59) <0.0001 −0.61 (−0.74, −0.48) <0.0001 −0.66 (−0.79, −0.53) <0.0001
Cups/day, linear trend −0.09 (−0.10, −0.08) <0.0001 −0.07 (−0.08, −0.06) <0.0001 −0.08 (−0.09, −0.07) <0.0001
Trail A5
0 14,356 3.58 ± 0.32 Reference Reference Reference
<1 3828 3.57 ± 0.31 −0.009 (−0.020, 0.002) 0.11 0.002 (−0.008, 0.013) 0.66 0.003 (−0.008, 0.013) 0.63
1 8722 3.59 ± 0.32 0.004 (−0.004, 0.012) 0.34 0.013 (0.004, 0.021) 0.002 0.013 (0.005, 0.021) 0.001
2–3 29,394 3.61 ± 0.32 0.014 (0.008, 0.020) <0.0001 0.020 (0.014, 0.027) <0.0001 0.021 (0.015, 0.028) <0.0001
4–5 24,291 3.62 ± 0.33 0.027 (0.021, 0.033) <0.0001 0.029 (0.022, 0.035) <0.0001 0.030 (0.024, 0.037) <0.0001
6–7 10,788 3.63 ± 0.33 0.036 (0.028, 0.043) <0.0001 0.033 (0.025, 0.040) <0.0001 0.035 (0.027, 0.043) <0.0001
≥8 5992 3.62 ± 0.33 0.037 (0.028, 0.046) <0.0001 0.030 (0.020, 0.039) <0.0001 0.032 (0.022, 0.041) <0.0001
Cups/day, linear trend 0.005 (0.004, 0.006) <0.0001 0.004 (0.003, 0.005) <0.0001 0.004 (0.003, 0.005) <0.0001
Trail B5
0 14,356 4.10 ± 0.33 Reference Reference Reference
<1 3828 4.08 ± 0.32 −0.024 (−0.035, −0.013) <0.0001 −0.004 (−0.015, 0.007) 0.46 −0.004 (−0.014, 0.007) 0.50
1 8722 4.11 ± 0.33 0.004 (−0.004, 0.013) 0.29 0.020 (0.012, 0.028) <0.0001 0.020 (0.012, 0.028) <0.0001
2–3 29,393 4.13 ± 0.33 0.011 (0.005, 0.018) 0.0003 0.025 (0.019, 0.031) <0.0001 0.025 (0.019, 0.031) <0.0001
4–5 24,290 4.15 ± 0.34 0.027 (0.021, 0.033) <0.0001 0.034 (0.028, 0.040) <0.0001 0.035 (0.029, 0.042) <0.0001
6–7 10,788 4.16 ± 0.34 0.040 (0.032, 0.047) <0.0001 0.039 (0.031, 0.047) <0.0001 0.041 (0.034, 0.049) <0.0001
≥8 5992 4.15 ± 0.35 0.045 (0.036, 0.055) <0.0001 0.036 (0.027, 0.045) <0.0001 0.039 (0.030, 0.048) <0.0001
Cups/day, linear trend 0.006 (0.005, 0.007) <0.0001 0.005 (0.004, 0.005) <0.0001 0.005 (0.004, 0.006) <0.0001
Prospective Memory Test4
N % correct OR (95% CI) P OR (95% CI) P OR (95% CI) P
0 21,672 81.0 Reference Reference Reference
<1 4418 85.5 1.39 (1.27, 1.52) <0.0001 1.16 (1.05, 1.27) 0.002 1.15 (1.04, 1.27) 0.003
1 11,931 81.6 1.05 (0.99, 1.11) 0.10 0.92 (0.87, 0.98) 0.01 0.93 (0.87, 0.98) 0.01
2–3 42,405 79.5 0.96 (0.92, 1.00) 0.07 0.86 (0.82, 0.90) <0.0001 0.86 (0.82, 0.90) <0.0001
4–5 38,951 78.6 0.92 (0.88, 0.96) <0.0001 0.86 (0.82, 0.90) <0.0001 0.85 (0.81, 0.89) <0.0001
6–7 18,453 78.1 0.89 (0.85, 0.94) <0.0001 0.86 (0.82, 0.91) <0.0001 0.84 (0.80, 0.89) <0.0001
≥8 11,155 76.6 0.79 (0.75, 0.84) <0.0001 0.83 (0.79, 0.88) <0.0001 0.82 (0.77, 0.87) <0.0001
Cups/day, linear trend 0.97 (0.97, 0.98) <0.0001 0.98 (0.98, 0.99) <0.0001 0.98 (0.97, 0.98) <0.0001
1

Model 1: adjusted for age and sex.

2

Model 2: adjusted for age, sex, smoking, Townsend deprivation index, education, income, employment status, homeownership, self-reported health, waist-to-hip ratio, physical activity, fasting time and intakes of alcohol, water, fish, red meat, and fruit and vegetables.

3

Model 3: model 2 adjusted for regular coffee consumption.

4

Positive β-coefficients for FI (difference in 13-point score) and SDS (difference in number of correct substitutions) and OR >1 for PM (correct on first attempt) correspond to higher performance compared with nondrinkers (0 cups/d).

5

Negative β-coefficients for Pairs [difference in (log-transformed) number of errors], RT (difference in time, seconds, to respond), Trails A and Trails B [difference in (log transformed) time to complete] correspond to higher performance compared with nondrinkers (0 cups/d).

6

Data are raw mean ± SD scores of each cognitive function test stratified by tea consumption.

FI, fluid intelligence; Pairs, Pairs Matching; PM, prospective memory; RT, reaction time; SDS, symbol digit substitution.