Coffee and tea consumption

Coffee and tea consumption

LASA filenames:
LASA801

Contact: Mette van der Linden & Margreet Olthof

Background
Coffee and tea are among the most widely consumed beverages worldwide, constituting an important part of many people’s diet. In the Netherlands, the combined consumption of coffee and tea is highest among individuals aged 50 years and older. Because of their popularity and widespread use, these beverages have gained attention in the field of health sciences. The consumption of both coffee and tea has been associated with a variety of health benefits, including a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and reduced mortality [1–4].  Although the precise underlying mechanisms are not fully understood, the health benefits associated with coffee and tea consumption are often attributed to the presence of various bioactive compounds in the beverages, such as caffeine and polyphenols [5], which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties [6–8].

Measurement instruments in LASA
Participants’ coffee and tea consumption over the past month was measured in LASA wave J (2018/2019) and wave K (2021/2022) using a self-administered questionnaire. Participants were asked to specify the frequency of their weekly coffee and tea consumption in days per week (none; <1; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7 days per week) and the quantity in cups per day (1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; ≥10 cups) on days when they consumed these beverages. The number of cups per day was asked for the total coffee and tea consumption, as well as for each type of coffee (caffeinated; decaffeinated) and tea (black; green; rooibos; herbal; other namely …). In addition, participants were asked to indicate the volume of their coffee and tea cups separately. The response options were ‘small (about 125 mL)’, ‘medium (about 165 mL)’, ‘large (about 225 mL)’, ‘other, namely . . . mL’, and ‘don’t know’. In the case of ‘other, namely . . . mL’, participants could provide a numerical response. In LASA wave J (2018/2019), participants aged 65 years and above were additionally asked about their coffee and tea consumption during midlife (ages 40-65), using the same set of questions.

Coffee and tea consumption was also assessed using a food frequency questionnaire in an ancillary study.

Based on the coffee and tea data, an average total consumption in ml per day can be calculated. There is an SPSS syntax available to calculate the average coffee consumption in ml per day and in standardized cups of 125 ml per day. This syntax can be requested from the LASA datamanager. In the syntax, there are two different ways of calculating total coffee consumption: (1) based on the total number of cups of coffee per day and (2) based on the total number of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee cups combined. Furthermore, a distinction can be made between the type of coffee consumed (only caffeinated; only decaffeinated; both caffeinated and decaffeinated; non-coffee drinker). See table below.

Questionnaires
LASAJ801 / LASAK801 ( (self-administered questionnaire, in Dutch);

Variable information
LASAJ801 / LASAK801 (K not available yet)
(pdf)

Availability of information per wave ¹

¹ More information about the LASA data collection waves is available here

* 2B=baseline second cohort;
3B=baseline third cohort;
MB=migrants: baseline first cohort;
K=not available yet

Sa=data was collected in self-administered questionnaire

Previous use in LASA
Information on coffee and tea consumption was previously used to calculate caffeine (mg/d) intake (from coffee and tea)  in an observational study investigating the association between caffeine consumption and sleep health in older adults [9]. In addition, data on coffee and tea consumption were used in an observational study investigating the association between coffee consumption and physical frailty in later life (article in preparation for submission).

References

1. Poole R, Kennedy OJ, Roderick P, et al (2017) Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes. BMJ 359:j5024. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j5024
2. Grosso G, Godos J, Galvano F, Giovannucci EL (2017) Coffee, Caffeine, and Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review. Annu Rev Nutr 37:131–156. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nutr-071816-064941
3. Yi M, Wu X, Zhuang W, et al (2019) Tea Consumption and Health Outcomes: Umbrella Review of Meta‐Analyses of Observational Studies in Humans. Mol Nutr Food Res 63:1900389. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201900389
4. Chung M, Zhao N, Wang D, et al (2020) Dose–Response Relation between Tea Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Population-Based Studies. Adv Nutr 11:790–814. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmaa010
5. Nuhu AA (2014) Bioactive micronutrients in coffee: recent analytical approaches for characterization and quantification. ISRN Nutr 2014:384230. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/384230
6. Rana A, Samtiya M, Dhewa T, et al (2022) Health benefits of polyphenols: A concise review. J Food Biochem 46:. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.14264
7. Cory H, Passarelli S, Szeto J, et al (2018) The Role of Polyphenols in Human Health and Food Systems: A Mini-Review. Front Nutr 5:87. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2018.00087
8. Hertog MGL, Feskens EJM, Kromhout D, et al (1993) Dietary antioxidant flavonoids and risk of coronary heart disease: the Zutphen Elderly Study. The Lancet 342:1007–1011. https://doi.org/10.1016/0140-6736(93)92876-U
9. van der Linden M, Olthof MR, Wijnhoven HAH (2023) The Association between Caffeine Consumption from Coffee and Tea and Sleep Health in Male and Female Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study. Nutrients 16:131. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16010131

Date of last update: July, 2023 (first version)