|
Green Tea
and Cognitive Function
If you’re concerned about protecting the health of your brain as you
age, you might want to step up your intake of green tea! In 2006, the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study of green
tea’s effects on cognitive function (the ability to think, remember and
concentrate). Up until that time there had been several animal studies
published showing that green tea catechins can prevent oxidative damage
to brain cell DNA, improve memory-related learning, reduce the plaque
buildup related to Alzheimer’s disease, and even reverse mental
deterioration. But this was the first human study published on
the cognitive effects of green tea consumption.
The researchers looked at 1003 Japanese people age 70 or older. These
volunteers completed a questionnaire regarding the frequency of their green tea
consumption, then their cognitive function was measured using the Mini-Mental
State Examination.
The results showed that drinking higher amounts of green tea was associated
with a lower incidence of cognitive impairment. Specifically, drinking 4-6 cups
of green tea per week (or 1 cup per day) lowered the incidence of problems with
thinking, remembering and concentrating by 38%. And drinking 2 or more cups of
green tea per day lowered the incidence of cognitive impairment by an astounding
54%! What an easy and tasty way to cut your risk of memory problems almost in
half!
(Kuriyama
S, Hozawa A. Ohmori K, et al. Green tea consumption and cognitive function: a
cross-sectional study from the Tsurugaya Project 1. Am J Clin Nutr
2006;83(2):355-61.
|
Nadine Taylor, M.S., R.D. presents
GreenTeaLibrary.com, the most
comprehensive collection of scientific information describing the
health benefits of green tea.
|
|
