We’ve heard about the many benefits that can be derived from green tea. Aside from being a potent antioxidant, it’s believed to slow down Alzheimer’s disease, prevent cancer, calm the nerves, and help with losing weight. Now, a study links green tea to immediate memory enhancement.
If you’re not a fan of green tea, here’s why you should be. One thing that’s amazing about the human brain is its ability to store memory. However, as people age, the ability to remember deteriorates. This new study gives hope for enhancing memory.
Swiss researchers studied the effects of green tea to a group of healthy male adults. They were given either of two kinds of beverages – one containing 27.5 grams of green tea extract, or a placebo beverage. The subjects were then made to complete a series of activities to test their memory. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to monitor brain activity.
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The MRI showed that those who drank green tea performed better at the memory activities than those who took placebo. Apparently for those who took green tea, their parietal and frontal lobes communicated better with each other. The parietal lobe is responsible for processing sensory input into words and ideas. The frontal lobe, on the other hand, is responsible for solving problems and making decisions. The enhanced coordination in these vital brain regions enhanced the subjects’ memory performance.
Upon hearing about the research results, sports nutrition director Liz Applegate of the University of California at Davis said that the cognitive benefits of tea is not at all surprising. Green tea has long shown that it contains components that help in many cognitive impairment issues. The surprising thing, according to Applegate, is the instantaneous effect that tea causes to improve memory performance. Applegate believes that this immediate effect is caused by Theanine (an amino acid that is only found in green teas), caffeine, and catechins. According to her, each of these substances has the individual capacity to boost cognitive functions. Combined together in green tea, they become potent memory enhancers.