Coffee and caffeine intake reduces risk of ulcerative colitis: a case–control study in Japan

• Published in: Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology Vol. 39; no. 3; pp. 512 - 518
• Main Authors: Tanaka, Keiko, Okubo, Hitomi, Miyake, Yoshihiro, Nagata, Chisato, Furukawa, Shinya, Andoh, Akira, Yokoyama, Tetsuji, Yoshimura, Naoki, Mori, Kenichiro, Ninomiya, Tomoyuki, Yamamoto, Yasunori, Takeshita, Eiji, Ikeda, Yoshio, Saito, Mitsuru, Ohashi, Katsuhisa, Imaeda, Hirotsugu, Kakimoto, Kazuki, Higuchi, Kazuhide, Nunoi, Hiroaki, Mizukami, Yuji, Suzuki, Seiyuu, Hiraoka, Sakiko, Okada, Hiroyuki, Kawasaki, Keitarou, Higashiyama, Masaaki, Hokari, Ryota, Miura, Hiromasa, Miyake, Teruki, Kumagi, Teru, Kato, Hiromasa, Hato, Naohito, Sayama, Koji, Hiasa, Yoichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.03.2024
• Subjects: Appendicitis; Ascorbic acid; Beverages; Body mass index; Caffeine; Caffeine - adverse effects; Caffeine - analysis; Case-Control Studies; Chocolate; Coffee; Colitis, Ulcerative - epidemiology; Colitis, Ulcerative - etiology; Colitis, Ulcerative - prevention & control; Environmental factors; Green tea; Humans; Inflammatory bowel disease; Japan - epidemiology; Risk; Risk Factors; Soft drinks; Tea; Tea - adverse effects; Ulcerative colitis; Vitamin A; Japan; Case-control studies; Risk; Coffee; Caffeine; Ulcerative colitis
• ISSN: 0815-9319; 1440-1746; 1440-1746
• DOI: 10.1111/jgh.16439

Background and Aim Although diet is one of the potential environmental factors affecting ulcerative colitis (UC), evidence is not sufficient to draw definitive conclusions. This Japanese case–control study examined the association between the consumption of coffee, other caffeine‐containing beverages and food, and total caffeine and the risk of UC. Methods The study involved 384 UC cases and 665 control subjects. Intake of coffee, decaffeinated coffee, black tea, green tea, oolong tea, carbonated soft drinks, and chocolate snacks was measured with a semiquantitative food‐frequency questionnaire. Adjustments were made for sex, age, pack‐years of smoking, alcohol consumption, history of appendicitis, family history of UC, education level, body mass index, and intake of vitamin C, retinol, and total energy. Results Higher consumption of coffee and carbonated soft drinks was associated with a reduced risk of UC with a significant dose–response relationship (P for trend for coffee and carbonated soft drinks were <0.0001 and 0.01, respectively), whereas higher consumption of chocolate snacks was significantly associated with an increased risk of UC. No association was observed between consumption of decaffeinated coffee, black tea, green tea, or oolong tea and the risk of UC. Total caffeine intake was inversely associated with the risk of UC; the adjusted odds ratio between extreme quartiles was 0.44 (95% confidence interval: 0.29–0.67; P for trend <0.0001). Conclusions We confirmed that intake of coffee and caffeine is also associated with a reduced risk of UC in Japan where people consume relatively low quantities of coffee compared with Western countries.