Green tea has many health benefits, perhaps the most prominent of which is that it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, maintains skin health, promotes weight loss, reduces the incidence of dementia, protects against cancer, increases insulin sensitivity, helps treat type 2 diabetes, protects teeth from the risk of cavities, and is rich in antioxidants that neutralize the free radicals that are behind many diseases associated with aging.
If you are a fan of green tea, keep drinking it, and if you are not, it is wise to add it to your daily routine, for a very good reason, which is that a recent Japanese study carried with it good news that green tea reduces the risk of damage to the white matter in the brain in the elderly. Let's look together at the amazing results of this study, to learn how a simple drink can maintain the health of our brain and our cognitive abilities.
A glimpse into the white matter in the brain
To understand the effect of green tea on the brain, we must take a quick look at the white matter. The brain is made up of two substances: gray matter and white matter. The gray matter is found on the surface of the brain and is therefore called the cortex. The white matter is found in the deep tissues of the brain and contains fibers called axons covered with a protective white sheath called myelin, which protects nerve cells and transmits and speeds up neurotransmitters between cells in the brain. White matter helps us think quickly, walk straight, and prevent falls. If white matter is damaged, several signs and symptoms appear, including problems with concentration, memory, and problem solving, slow walking, imbalance, mood swings, difficulty speaking, and difficulty performing two or more activities at the same time.
How can green tea protect the brain as we age?
According to a study recently published in the Nature portfolio journal Science of Good by researchers from the Graduate School of Medical Sciences at Kanazawa University in Japan, drinking three cups of green tea a day can reduce the risk of white matter lesions in the brain in older adults who do not have dementia.
The study included a sample of 8,766 participants from the Japanese community as part of the Prospective Studies on Aging and Dementia, aged 65 years and older, none of whom had signs of dementia. The individuals in the study underwent MRI of the brain to assess the volume of white matter, hippocampal volume, and total brain volume, and then the participants filled out a food questionnaire to collect information about the frequency of their daily consumption of green tea and coffee.
What are the results of the study?
After taking into account various factors such as gender, age, education level, exercise, blood pressure, cholesterol level and smoking, the researchers concluded the following:
People who drank 600 ml of green tea per day had 3% fewer white matter lesions than those who drank 200 ml or less.
Those who drank 1,500 ml of green tea per day showed a significant reduction in white matter lesions, with these lesions being 6% smaller compared to the control group.
The researchers found no significant effects of green tea on hippocampal volume or total brain volume.
No benefits were recorded for green tea in participants who drank coffee daily.
The protective effects of green tea were limited to individuals who did not have symptoms of depression or a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease.
So it can be said that green tea plays an important protective role against damage to the white matter in the brain, and the researchers attributed this role to the antioxidants and anti-inflammatories abundant in green tea, which means that the latter protects against cognitive decline associated with aging.
White matter lesions in the brain are closely linked to declines in cognitive abilities, vascular dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Notably, high blood pressure is recognized as one of the most significant risk factors contributing to these lesions. In this regard, multiple studies have indicated that regular green tea consumption can help lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, thereby positively influencing the health of white matter specifically and brain health overall.
Some of the objections to the study:
The study was unable to find a causal relationship between green tea consumption and reduced white matter lesions in the brain.
The study did not mention how to prepare the tea, and how to consume it, alone or with snacks.
The study did not mention whether some people drink black tea.
The study was unable to compare the effect of green tea with the effect of black tea.
The effect of green tea on white matter lesions was not evaluated compared to other beverages or nutritional interventions.
The study did not determine the role of genetic factors and lifestyle and the extent of their impact on the benefits of green tea.
The study did not evaluate the extent of the effect of green tea on the development of dementia and cognitive decline.
Does green tea have side effects?
Although green tea is generally safe, excessive consumption, i.e. more than 3 to 4 cups a day, can cause side effects such as anxiety, insomnia, dizziness, digestive disorders, headaches, and irregular heartbeat.
People with heart problems, high blood pressure, kidney problems, or stomach problems should not drink green tea, and the same applies to pregnant and breastfeeding women. As for those taking medications, they should consult a healthcare provider to determine the safety of drinking green tea.
Advice :
What we understand from the Japanese study mentioned above is that regular consumption of green tea plays a major protective role against age-related cognitive decline, which is great news for anyone looking for a natural way to maintain brain health, but wait and wait, the supervisors of the new study stressed that it was conducted on the older Japanese population, and that more future research is needed on different ethnicities and regions of the world, more diverse, to verify the validity of the results. Therefore, tea should not be viewed as a magic solution against brain aging. Eating a healthy, balanced diet, exercising regularly, and monitoring mental health remain essential to maintaining a healthy mind as we move into the fall and winter of life.
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