If you are a tea lover, now there is another reason to love your tea more. New research from the National University of Singapore found that regular tea intake results in better-organized brain regions, which is associated with healthy cognitive function. Tea is one of the most consumed beverage, but users consume it differently depending on their cultures and available materials. It is now possible to try different tea varieties easily purchase it from an online tea and coffee shop and organic tea online stores like the Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Company.
Tea and Brain Health
Studies have shown that drinking tea protects users from age-related cognitive conditions like Alzheimer’s diseases. Most people like tea because the caffeine and L-theanine in coffee increase our focus and alertness, but the benefits go beyond that. Apart from improving our alertness, the caffeine in tea blocks adenosine (an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain), therefore, increasing the concentration of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and dopamine.
The L-theanine, on the other hand, increases the activity of GABA (an inhibitory neurotransmitter).
GABA has anti-anxiety effects and helps increase the production of dopamine and alpha waves in the brain. The caffeine concentration in tea is lower than that of coffee, but it is enough to produce positive effects with a milder buzz.
Researchers in the National University of Singapore research involved 36 adults above 60 years old in age and data about their lifestyle, their health and their psychological well-being was collected and analyzed for three years from 2015 to 2018. They also had to undergo magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological tests. The analysis of the imaging results and cognitive performance data showed that individuals there was a better interconnection of brain regions of those who were drinking tea at least four times every week for about 25 years.
The study showed how the tea improves our cognitive function by preventing disruption to interregional connections and improving brain organization. If the connections between brain regions are better structured, there is more efficient information processing.
Apart from improving brain function, regular tea intake also protects the brain in old age. Several studies have shown that the Catechin compounds found in tea can prevent tea users from common neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Other Health Benefits of Drinking Tea Regularly
A lot of studies have shown that regular tea intake improves human health and well-being in areas like the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, mood improvement, and many more. Below are some of these benefits.
Helps Reduce Inflammations and to Fight Cancer
Tea has a variety of healthy compounds that give our bodies a lot of health benefits. One example is polyphenols that help in reducing inflammations and fighting cancer. It also has antioxidants like catechins, which help in slowing aging by reducing the formation of free radicals. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is one of these catechins and is considered as the most powerful compound in tea. EGCG is also one of the compounds that give green tea its medicinal properties. Always purchase your tea from trusted stores or a trusted online tea and coffee shop like Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Company if you want to leap all the benefits.
Can Help in Weight Loss
Tea, especially green tea, can help you lose weight in two ways: First, it helps in boosting metabolic rate. The other way is that it increases fat burning. The caffeine in tea mobilizes fatty acids from fat tissue and provide them for use as energy. In a study involving 240 obese people, the group using green tea significantly reduced their fat percentage, waist circumference, belly fat, and body weight faster compared to those who were non-tea users. However, there is a deed for further studies because some studies don’t show a significant weight loss from the use of green tea.
Can Help Prevent Cardiovascular Diseases
Cardiovascular diseases like stroke and heart diseases are a common cause of death. Green tea helps reduce the causes of these diseases by improving LDL cholesterol levels and increasing the antioxidant capacity of the blood. Oxidation of LDL cholesterol particles in the blood is a risk factor for heart diseases.
Tea’s ability to protect users against cardiovascular diseases makes sense that regular tea intake can help you live longer. A study conducted in Japan showed that people who drank a lot of drink tea (5 cups or more) had a lower possibility of heart diseases and stroke. The protection from other chronic diseases like cancer also helps users live longer.
Parting Words
If you want to have better brain health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, you should consider improving your tea intake. A lot of studies have shown that regular tea intake has a lot of health benefits which will eventually help you live longer and healthier.
