Background: Animal experiments have found that oil tea reduces body weight and improves blood lipid levels. However, the effect of oil tea on human health has not been confirmed yet. This study aims to explore the relationship between oil tea consumption and obesity and dyslipidemia.
Methods: In a cross-sectional population study in Guangxi, China, a semi-quantitative questionnaire was used to investigate the oil tea consumed and food consumption frequency in adults aged 30 years and over. Anthropometric variables and serum biochemical indicators were measured. A total of 2001 adults were divided into five groups based on their non-consumption status and quartile of consumption (groups non-drink oil tea, Q1–Q4).
Results: The risk of abdominal obesity tended to decrease significantly with increasing consumption of oil tea (P for trend< 0.05) in the overall participants (Q3 group, OR = 0.545, 95% CI = 0.336– 0.884; Q4 group, OR = 0.520, 95% CI = 0.311– 0.871) and in women (Q2 group, OR = 0.502, 95% CI = 0.274– 0.920; Q3 group, OR = 0.397, 95% CI = 0.213– 0.740; Q4 group, OR = 0.421, 95% CI = 0.228– 0.780). Oil tea consumption Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 group significantly reduced the risk of abnormal HDL-cholesterol (P < 0.05). Oil tea consumption Q2 group significantly increased the risk of abnormal LDL-cholesterol (OR = 2.600, 95% CI = 1.033– 6.546) in women. Oil tea consumption Q1 (OR = 0.081, 95% CI =0.008– 0.864) and Q3 (OR = 0.057, 95% CI = 0.004– 0.913) groups significantly reduced the risk of abnormal HDL-cholesterol in women.
Conclusion: Oil tea consumption may be associated with a low risk of abdominal obesity. High-dose oil tea consumption may be associated with a low risk of abnormal HDL-cholesterol. Prospective studies with large sample sizes would be required to further investigate this association.
Keywords: abdominal obesity, blood lipid, HDL-C