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Studies Find Tea Could Reduce Risk of Memory Loss & Diabetes
by Happiful
It’s the nation’s favourite way to start the day, but now research shows that your morning cuppa could reduce the risk of developing age-related diseases
After water, tea is the second most commonly consumed beverage in the world, so research collated by the Tea Advisory Panel (TAP) is good news for many of us.
An observational study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, looked at more than 1,000 Japanese people and found that drinking one cup of green tea each day was associated with a 38% reduction in risk of memory loss and cognitive impairment, while two or more cups a day meant a 54% reduction in risk.
But that’s not all. Another study published in The FASEB Journal considered the effect of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) – the major antioxidant and antiinflammatory compound in black and green tea – on three different diets.
Researchers discovered that people who consumed EGCG sustained less memory loss than the other two groups, and the compound also reduced cell damage caused by high fat and high fructose diets. The study also found that EGCG significantly improved insulin resistance – a problem often associated with ageing – with scientists finding that drinking one cup of black tea after dinner each day can improve blood glucose control, due to the tea’s major bioactive compounds.
Speaking on the findings, Dr Tim Bond, TAP’s lead scientist with more than 18 years of experience researching tea, points to the unique ways that teas can reduce cognitive decline, due to the way that anti-inflammatory compounds can reduce inflammation in brain nerve cells. “These latest study findings, together with many other published studies, continue to suggest that Britain’s favourite beverage is good for our health, including our bones, heart, vascular system and skin, to name just a few health and wellbeing benefits, whatever your age,” says Tim.
So whether you have it green, black, or with a splash of milk, a good brew could be the key to healthy aging.
Kathryn Wheeler
