Coffee, Black Tea, and Green Tea Consumption in Relation to Plasma Metabolites in an Asian Population

Scope Coffee and tea are among the most popular beverages in the world. However, the association between habitual coffee, green tea and black tea consumption with metabolomics profiles in Asian populations remain largely unknown. Methods and results We measured 158 metabolites (14 amino acids, 45 acylcarnitines, and 99 sphingolipids) in the blood plasma of participants from the population-based Singapore Prospective Study Programme cohort using mass spectrometry (MS). Linear regression models were used to obtain the estimates for the association between coffee and tea consumption with metabolite levels, adjusted for potential confounders and false discovery rate (FDR). Coffee consumption was significantly associated with higher levels of 63 sphingolipids (29 sphingomyelins, 32 ceramides, a sphingosine-1-phosphate and a sphingosine) and lower levels of 13 acylcarnitines and alanine. Black tea consumption was significantly associated with higher levels of 8 sphingolipids, and lower levels of an amino acid, whereas green tea was significantly inversely associated with four metabolites (C8:1-OH acylcarnitine, ganglioside GM3 d18:1/16:0, sphingomyelins d18:2/18:0 and d18:1/14:0). Conclusions Coffee, black tea, and green tea consumption were associated with plasma levels of certain classes of sphingolipids and acylcarnitines in an Asian population, particularly sphingomyelins, which may mediate the health benefits of these beverages. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.