Coffee, tea and caffeine linked to lower kidney disease odds
What it found
In US adults, people who drank more coffee, tea or caffeine were less likely to have chronic kidney disease.
This was a snapshot study, so it cannot show cause and effect.
What they found
Studies in people
Coffee and kidney disease
Compared with people who drank no coffee, those who drank more than 352.5 g a day had lower odds of chronic kidney disease. The link was stronger in women and in people over 60.
Tea and kidney disease
People who drank tea had lower odds of chronic kidney disease than those who drank none. The link was similar across sex and age groups.
Caffeine and kidney disease
People who took in more than 153.0 g a day of caffeine had lower odds of chronic kidney disease than those who took in less than 44.5 g a day. Caffeine from coffee and from tea were each linked to lower odds.
Kidney function measure
Each extra 100 mg a day of total caffeine was linked to a small rise in the kidney function measure eGFR. Coffee intake was also linked to a small rise, but tea and tea caffeine were not.
Urine caffeine markers
One urine marker of caffeine breakdown, 17X, was linked to lower odds of chronic kidney disease, but the link disappeared after accounting for multiple comparisons. No other urine markers were linked.
What the authors conclude
“In conclusion, we found that tea, coffee or caffeine consumption was inversely associated with CKD, which may be attributed to the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the bioactive substances of coffee and tea.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say tea, coffee or caffeine consumption was linked to lower odds of chronic kidney disease, which may be due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of compounds in coffee and tea.
- They suggest healthcare providers may consider discussing these dietary factors with patients at risk for kidney disease.
- They call for large-scale, prospective studies to further validate the protective effects of tea, coffee or caffeine consumption on chronic kidney disease risk in adults.
How it was done
Past studies on coffee, tea and caffeine and kidney disease have given mixed results, so the authors wanted to look at this in a large group of US adults.
They looked at survey data from 49,827 US adults collected between 1999 and 2018. Food and drink intake came from two 24-hour recall interviews, and kidney disease was defined by a kidney function measure or albumin in the urine.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a snapshot study, so it can show a link but not whether coffee, tea or caffeine cause the lower odds of kidney disease.
- Food and drink intake was based on two 24-hour recalls, which may not reflect long-term habits.
- The study did not account for differences in caffeine content due to coffee bean type, origin or processing.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics statement: This study used de-identified, nationally representative survey data that are publicly available upon request to the NHANES. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.
- Authors work at
- The Third Hospital affiliated Zhengzhou University, China; The Fifth Hospital affiliated Zhengzhou University, China; Zhengzhou University, China
The paper
- Title
- Association between coffee and caffeine consumption and chronic kidney disease
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Gao P, Ji X, Wang W, Chen Y, Gao Z, Yu Z (2025). Association between coffee and caffeine consumption and chronic kidney disease. Scientific reports. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-11543-4Free full textPubMed 40652091DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error