Habitual Tea Consumption Is Associated with a Low Prevalence of Self-Reported Lifetime History of Depression in Taiwanese Population Study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Depression is a common mental disorder that has a substantial impact on both society and health. The potential health benefits of tea consumption have been suggested; however, whether the type of tea and drinking patterns such as frequency and intake are related to the risk of depression remain unclear, especially in different populations. This study utilized data from 27,119 Taiwan Biobank enrollees to evaluate the relationship between the prevalence of self-reported lifetime history of depression and tea consumption, including the type, drinking frequency, and daily intake. METHODS: Tea consumption was categorized by type (fully fermented, semi-fermented, and non-fermented), frequency and daily intake. Self-reported questionnaires were used to record self-reported lifetime history of depression status. The association between tea consumption and self-reported lifetime history of depression was investigated using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Overall, tea consumption was significantly associated with a low prevalence of self-reported lifetime history of depression (odds ratio [OR] 0.736). While this association was found for semi-fermented and non-fermented teas (OR, 0.674), it was not found for fully fermented tea. Although a daily consumption of one-two cups (350-700 mL) was significantly associated with a low prevalence of self-reported lifetime history of depression, drinking more than three cups per day showed no association. Furthermore, regarding the frequency of tea consumption, those who drank tea every day were significantly associated with a low prevalence of self-reported lifetime history of depression, while those who only drank tea weekly or monthly were not. Subgroup analysis showed that tea consumption was not associated with a lower prevalence of self-reported lifetime history of depression in older individuals (≥65 years), those with diabetes, smokers, and those who drank alcohol, suggesting that health status and lifestyle factors may influence the possible associations of tea consumption. However, the interaction analysis did not achieve significance. We acknowledge that the formal interaction tests were not statistically significant and that these findings should therefore be considered exploratory. CONCLUSIONS: Consuming semi-fermented and non-fermented tea was associated with a low prevalence of self-reported lifetime history of depression; however, the association depended on the quantity and frequency of consumption. Further research is warranted to explore the biological mechanisms of different types of tea and develop intervention strategies for high-risk populations.