A study from the National University of Singapore shows that drinking tea improves brain function.
The Study
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190912100945.htm A year and a half ago, researchers tested 36 older adults to determine if tea improved brain cognition. All the participants were over the age of 60. The University of Essex and the University of Cambridge also participated in the study. The results in Aging on June 14, 2019 (https://www.aging-us.com/article/102023) provide details of the study.
The study evaluated habitual tea drinkers, those drinking green tea, black tea, or oolong tea at least four times weekly for 25 years. This study differed from previous studies that relied on neuropsychological measurements. The results of four years of testing using MRI testing (neuroimaging) show better organization in brain structure is among tea drinkers than non-tea drinkers.
Tea drinking neuroimaging showed the brain as a series of roadmaps with destinations for data access and retrieval. The brains of tea drinkers exhibited better traffic organization of thought processes. Information processing was more efficient in the older, habitual tea drinkers. Researchers believe tea provides a protective mechanism to offset the age-related decline in brain organization.
Tea Benefits
Tea Benefits
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea Previous studies of tea and brain health showed positive benefits of green tea and brain function. Caffeine, an active ingredient of green tea, acts as a stimulant.
Caffeine blocks adenosine, a neurotransmitter inhibitor. Dopamine and norepinephrine (neurotransmitters) function more effectively when adenosine is not present. The caffeine in tea enhances brain function through mood control, vigilance, reaction time, and memory.
L-theanine, an amino acid, crosses the blood-brain-barrier and increases GABA production (gamma-Aminobutyric acid). In addition to relieving anxiety and improving mood, GABA promotes fat burning, blood pressure stabilization, and pain relief.
Conclusion
Hundreds of articles written every year promote the health aspects of drinking tea. This study used MRI technology to image the brain responses during testing.
I drank soda for most of my adult life. I switched to diet drinks around the age of 50 and then to unsweetened tea by 55. I am a habitual tea drinker since I drink several cups daily of at least six different teas – green, oolong, pu ehr, pohchong, gyna-stemma, and white tea. Almost all tea served in restaurants is black tea.
Just like beer and wine are acquired tastes, tea is also. It took me five decades to turn off my desire and expectation for a sugary taste in drinks and enjoy the authentic flavor of various teas.
Live Longer & Enjoy Life! – Red O’Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com