Effects of green tea on brain health
Aging can lead to declines in brain health, leading to diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and neurodegenerative conditions.
Therefore, choosing foods and drinks that help reduce the risk of cognitive decline is always focused on.
Research in the scientific journal “npj Science of Food” shows that green tea has the ability to protect brain health.
According to a group of authors led by Kanazawa University (Japan), one of the outstanding effects of green tea is to help improve brain health and reduce damage to the brain's white matter. The brain's white matter has the function of transmitting nerve signals, enhancing the reception, processing, storage of information, controlling psychology and maintaining balance for the body.
Brain aging can cause white matter damage, which is linked to small vessel diseases, including dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
These diseases occur when arteries in the brain become narrowed due to inflammation or abnormal protein buildup. Research also shows that green tea can help protect the hippocampus - the area of the brain involved in memory.
How much green tea is enough?
Research shows that people who regularly drink green tea have less white matter damage.
Accordingly, study participants who drank 600 ml of green tea per day had 3% less brain damage than those who drank 200 ml or less during a 2-year follow-up period.
Therefore, drinking about 3 cups of green tea a day will bring significant benefits to brain health.
This is thanks to the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties in green tea, especially the compound epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which has the ability to help reduce damage to blood vessels in the brain.
Notably, the study also compared green tea with coffee and showed that coffee did not have a significant effect on white matter brain damage like green tea.
This may be one reason for you to consider green tea as a healthy beverage.
Thus, green tea is not only good for overall health but also brings many benefits to brain health, helping to reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases as we age.
