Association between coffee, tea, and soft drinks consumption and Crohn's disease in Arab populations: A case-control study

Summary: Aim: Crohn's disease (CD) is a complex inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by persistent inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). While the impact of beverage consumption on various chronic conditions is recognized, its connection with CD remains a subject of debate, particularly with limited research among Arab populations. To address this, we conducted a case-control study to explore potential links between coffee, tea, and soft drink consumption and the prevalence of CD among individuals in Saudi Arabia. Methods: We assessed beverage consumption in 251 patients newly diagnosed with CD and 400 controls with GIT illnesses other than IBD, malignancy, polyposis, and diverticulosis. The diagnosis was established via colonoscopy and biopsies by gastroenterologists, and beverage intake was assessed via a self-administered questionnaire. We used logistic regression to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of CD based on beverage consumption frequency. Results: After adjusting for age and sex, frequent consumption of coffee and tea was inversely associated with CD: ORs (95% CIs) = 0.68 (0.49, 0.95) and 0.65 (0.46, 0.92), respectively. Further adjustment for body mass index and smoking attenuated these associations: ORs (95% CIs) = 0.77 (0.54, 1.08) and 0.71 (0.50, 1.03), respectively. In contrast, frequent consumption of soft drinks was positively associated with CD in both models: ORs (95% CIs) = 4.57 (3.17, 6.59) and 4.99 (3.38, 7.39), respectively. Conclusions: Frequent consumption of coffee and tea was negatively associated with CD, while the reverse was true for soft drinks.