Gaby
A new study from leading research centers in Japan links higher green tea consumption to reduced white matter damage in older adults. This suggests the drink may help protect older adults from dementia.
How Did Scientists Discover This?
Previous research has associated green tea with lower blood pressure, sharper cognitive performance, weight control, and even killing cancer cells.
Now, researchers analyzed a large dataset on green tea intake among people aged 65 and older. A total of 8,766 volunteers provided data during surveys conducted between 2016 and 2018.
They compared that information with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results, assessing overall brain health and specific features in five brain regions.
Throughout the study, researchers adjusted for factors such as age, gender, physical activity, and education level, according to Science Alert.
In their report, the authors wrote, “The study found a significant connection in older adults without dementia between lower amounts of white matter damage in the brain and higher green tea consumption.”
On average, people who drank three cups of green tea a day had three percent less white matter damage compared with those who drank one cup daily. Among those who drank seven to eight cups a day, the reduction was six percent compared with the one-cup-a-day group.
Green tea consumption did not appear to affect hippocampal volume or total brain volume. It also showed no effect for people diagnosed with depression or for carriers of the APOE4 gene variant linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
The authors suggested that, because green tea contains less caffeine than coffee—which can raise blood pressure—it may have a more positive effect on white matter integrity.
The team didn’t stop there. All participants were Japanese, so they shared similar genetics and lifestyles. The researchers said they plan to include a more diverse sample in future studies.
The team emphasized that their results suggested consuming three cups of green tea a day or more could help prevent dementia, but that further prospective longitudinal and basic studies are needed to confirm the findings.
The findings were published in the journal Science of Food.
