Tea and coffee consumption in relation to depression and anxiety symptoms: findings from the multicentric LIPOKAP study

Given the increasing mental health challenges and distinct drinking traditions in Iran, this study aimed to shed light on the association between tea and coffee consumption and depression and anxiety. In this cross-sectional study, 1994 adults were recruited via stratified multi‐stage cluster sampling across five major Iranian cities from February 2018 to July 2019. Tea and coffee consumption were assessed based on self-reported daily or weekly intake, with tea classified into three categories and coffee classified as non-consumers versus consumers. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured by the Iranian‐validated Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Logistic binary logistic regression models estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for HADS‐defined depressive and anxiety symptoms, with stepwise adjustment for key confounders to minimize bias. No significant associations were observed between tea consumption and depressive or anxiety symptoms either in crude or adjusted models (p-trend > 0.05). In terms of coffee, crude analyses suggested an inverse association for depression (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.43–0.84; p = 0.003) and anxiety (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.54–0.99; p = 0.045) in coffee consumers (≥ 1 cup/d) compared with non-consumers (< 1 cup/d). However, adjustment for potential confounders attenuated the association, while in the full-adjusted model coffee consumption tend to lower depression risk (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.49–1.01; p = 0.057), and no association was observed for anxiety. While tea consumption was not associated with depression and anxiety, coffee intake tends to lower depression symptoms. Prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm our results.