Researchers say that drinking tea regularly can lead to better organized thinking. (Photo: Bigstock)
September 19, 2019
By a staff writer
Natural Health News
Hit news – This tea break can do more than just give you a shot of caffeine.
A recent study from the National University of Singapore found that regular tea drinkers have better organized brain regions and this is associated with healthy cognitive function – compared to non-tea drinkers.
The discovery came after examining neuroimaging data from 36 adults.
“Our results provide the first evidence of a positive contribution of tea drinking to brain structure and show that regular tea drinking has a protective effect against age-related decline in brain structure,” said Assistant Professor Feng Lei, from the Department of Psychiatry at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Yong Lu Lin School of Medicine.
The research was carried out in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Essex and the University of Cambridge, and the findings were published in a scientific journal. old age.
Effects of brain networks
Past studies have shown that tea consumption is It is useful for human healthand has a positive effect improve mood, decreased risk of glaucoma and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. In fact, the results of a long-term study led by Professor Feng, published in 2017, showed that daily consumption of tea can reducing the risk of cognitive decline 50% in older people.
Following this discovery, Professor Feng and his team further explored the direct effects of tea on brain networks.
The research team recruited 36 adults over the age of 60 and collected data on their health, lifestyle and psychological well-being. Elderly participants also had to undergo neuropsychological tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The study was conducted from 2015 to 2018.
Analyzing the participants’ cognitive performance and imaging results, the research team found that individuals who drank either green tea, oolong tea, or black tea at least four times a week for about 25 years had brain regions that were more effectively connected.
Maintain the flow of information
“Take the analogy of road traffic as an example – think of brain regions as destinations, while the connections between brain regions are roads. When the road system is better organized, traffic and passengers become more efficient and use fewer resources. Similarly, when connections between brain regions are more structured, information processing can be done more efficiently,” explained Assistant Professor Feng.
He added, “We have shown in our previous studies that tea drinkers have better cognitive function compared to non-tea drinkers. Our current results on the brain network indirectly support our previous findings and show that the positive effect of regular tea drinking is the result of improved brain organization caused by preventing disruptions to inter-regional connections.”
This small but interesting study should be replicated on a larger scale. The next team plans to examine the effects of tea as well as the bioactive compounds in tea that may have a role in cognitive decline.
