Drinking Tea Linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis
According to the results presented at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy, women who drink large amounts of tea have increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis compared to those who do not drink tea. On the other hand, no significant changes were found in those that drink coffee compared to those that do not.
This study aimed to show the relationship between the consumption, or the method of preparation of tea or coffee and the increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). According to Professor Christopher Collins, Assistant Professor of Medicine in Georgetown University Medical Center, the difference of the results between tea drinkers and coffee drinkers were surprising. “This does make us wonder what it is in tea, or in the method of preparation of tea that causes the significant increase in risk of developing RA,” he said.
The participants, women aged 50-79 from the Women’s Health Initiative Obervational Study, completed a questionnaire that provided information on their daily consumption of coffee and tea.
“These are very interesting findings and we hope that additional research will investigate this topic further. We do assert the need for caution in the interpretation of these findings as no strong causation effect has been confirmed, and encourage patients with rheumatic diseases to consult their physician before making any significant changes to their diet or caffeine intake” said Professor Paul Emery, President of EULAR and arc Professor of Rheumatology, Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Leeds, UK
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