Drinking Tea Improves Brain Health and Function

A recent publication from a Singaporean-led research team has reported that drinking tea (infusions prepared from Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) leaves helps to protect the brain from age related declines in brain function.1 Indeed, regular tea drinking can reduce cognitative decline in older adults by up to 50%. Furthermore, tea consumption also results in mood improvement and prevents cardiovascular disease. The research focused on green tea, oolong tea and black tea and did not distinguish between the relative merits of the different beverages. However, it is noteworthy that positive benefits of tea drinking reported in this study were evident in individuals who had consumed tea at least 4 times a week over a 25 year period and it is uncertain whether the effects of lower tea consumption, or consumption over shorter period would be as beneficial.