Epidemiological evidence of a lower prevalence of sarcopenia in older people with habitual oolong tea consumption

Abstract

Objectives: Green tea might be associated with a lower risk of sarcopenia. No studies have investigated the effects of habitual oolong tea (OT) consumption on sarcopenia, especially in older people. This study aimed to investigate the associations between habitual OT consumption and sarcopenia in rural community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: A total of 501 older subjects with complete data were enrolled. After overnight fasting, laboratory blood tests, anthropometric measurements and structured questionnaires were performed to obtain basic characteristics including nutritional status and tea-drinking habits. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 consensus. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the associations between OT consumption habits and sarcopenia.

Results: Fifty-two (10.4 %) participants had sarcopenia, and 146 people were current tea drinkers, with predominantly OT drinkers. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age (OR = 1.09, 95 % CI: 1.01-1.17) was positively, but male sex (OR = 0.09, 95 % CI: 0.02-0.30), obesity (OR = 0.05, 95 % CI: 0.01-0.22), normal nutritional status (OR = 0.25, 95 % CI: 0.11-0.58) and current OT consumption (OR = 0.15, 95 % CI: 0.07-0.90) were negatively associated with sarcopenia. Furthermore, current oolong drinkers with daily OT consumption ≥100 c.c. (OR = 0.16, 95 % CI: 0.03-0.96), a duration of at least 5 years (OR = 0.16, 95 % CI: 0.03-0.87) and OT intake ≥500 c.c.-years (OR = 0.10, 95 % CI: 0.01-0.99) were negatively associated with the risk of sarcopenia.

Conclusions: Habitual OT consumption was associated with and had accumulative effects on a lower risk of sarcopenia in older people.

Keywords: Nutritional status; Older people; Oolong tea; Rural community; Sarcopenia.