Beverage intake and risk of Crohn disease: A meta-analysis of 16 epidemiological studies

Epidemiological studies were controversial in the association between beverage intake and risk of Crohn disease (CD). This study aimed to investigate the role of beverage intake in the development of CD. A systematic search was conducted in public databases to identify all relevant studies, and study-specific relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using a random-effects model. Sixteen studies were identified with a total of 130,431 participants and 1933 CD cases. No significant association was detected between alcohol intake and CD risk (RR for the highest vs the lowest consumption level: 0.85, 95% CI 0.68–1.08), and coffee intake and the risk (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.46–1.46). High intake of soft drinks was associated with CD risk (RR 1.42, 95% CI 1.01–1.98), and tea intake was inversely associated with CD risk (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.53–0.93). In conclusion, high intake of soft drinks might increase the risk of CD, whereas tea intake might decrease the risk.