The influence of tea consumption on gut microbiota: evidence from a genome‐wide association study

BACKGROUND Tea is a widely consumed beverage with reported effects on metabolic diseases and gut health; however, its causal relationship with the gut microbiota remains unclear. This study explores this association using Mendelian randomization (MR). Genome‐wide association study (GWAS) data from the UK Biobank and the MiBioGen consortium were used. Forty‐one single‐nucleotide polymorphisms associated with tea consumption were selected as instrumental variables. Mendelian randomization analyses were conducted using inverse‐variance weighting, MR‐Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and simple mode methods. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q test, and pleiotropy was evaluated using MR‐Egger regression and Mendelian randomization pleiotropy residual sum and outlier analysis (MR‐PRESSO). RESULTS Tea consumption showed significant causal associations with ten gut microbiota taxa. Positive associations were found with Actinobacteria ( β = 0.283, P = 0.028), Alphaproteobacteria ( β = 0.317, P = 0.045), Coriobacteriia ( β = 0.277, P = 0.018), Coriobacteriales ( β = 0.277, P = 0.018), Rhodospirillales ( β = 0.343, P = 0.040), Coriobacteriaceae ( β = 0.277, P = 0.018), Rhodospirillaceae ( β = 0.336, P = 0.048), Catenibacterium ( β = 0.783, P = 0.009), and Enterorhabdus ( β = 0.345, P = 0.039). A negative association was observed with Lachnospiraceae UCG010 ( β = −0.324, P = 0.009). No significant heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy was detected. CONCLUSION Tea consumption may promote host health by modulating gut microbiota composition, supporting its application in precision nutrition and microbiota‐targeted interventions.