Coffee, vitamins, and brain-boosting substances, people use all kinds of stuff to become smarter and perform better at work or school. But what if I told you that the key was actually green tea?
 |
| Photo by Stacy Barnes on Unsplash |
Green tea has a wide array of health benefits due to its abundance of antioxidants and nutrients. Green tea has been seen to increase metabolism, decrease the risk of numerous types of cancer, boost the immune system, and lower the risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The history of tea actually dates back 5 THOUSAND years to Ancient China, and tea culture was greatly popularized in the 8th Century during the Tang Dynasty thanks to the culture and notable people such as Lu Yu. Lu Yu was a literary scholar who wrote The Classic of Tea, the very first monograph on tea in the world. Over the course of 10 chapters, Lu Yu refined the process for preparing and drinking tea, such as describing the fifteen tools used in the tea-making process, proper methods for storing collected tea leaves, and the types of water and water quality to look out for when brewing tea. Tea has also been used for its medicinal properties from as early as the Han Dynasty. Before that time, tea was exclusive to the Emperor, but quickly became accessible to noblemen and later, scholars, due to its health benefits. However, as methods for preparing tea became widespread, tea culture soon became a national custom in China and spread to other countries as well.
Today, tea culture is not only prevalent in Asia but it has spread throughout the world. But did you know that green tea also has properties that can help to enhance and restore your brain? Scientific Studies Recent scientific studies have looked at the effects of green tea on the brain. A study performed on healthy volunteers at the University of Basel in Switzerland found that just 4 weekly doses of green tea extract increased connectivity in regions of the brain associated with working memory, and this led to improved ability in certain memory tasks.
Green tea also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that can lead to changes in the brain resulting in anti-anxiety effects and can work together with caffeine to promote increased brain function. Components in green tea have also been seen to prevent the negative effects of aging in the brain. Alzheimer’s is a disorder affecting nearly 44 million people in the world, and it results from brain cell death. Alzheimer’s is irreversible and leads to a loss of cognitive functions, such as memory, decision-making, and control. Over time as a person ages, the brain shrinks and important connections are lost. A build-up of different proteins from the dying cells forms “Plaques and Tangles” in the brain, which can block signals and nutrients going to the existing neurons and lead to further cell death. However, a study at Newcastle University actually found that post-digested forms of tea can bind with the toxic chemicals in the brain and protect the cells, thereby preventing the loss of memory and learning ability.
Bonus Tip :
Weight Loss
Green tea may promote a small, non-significant weight loss in overweight and obese adults; however, since weight loss in the studies was so minimal, it is unlikely that green tea is clinically important for weight loss.
As you can see, green tea has many different types of positive effects on the body and compared to drinks like coffee or black tea, it generally has a lower dose of caffeine, which can help to increase your alertness without making you feel jittery or anxious. So the next time you’re debating what to drink - as your morning picker-upper, choosing green tea might just give your brain a nice and healthy boost. Take Care Guys!