14 DAY TRIAL // A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Basel demonstrates that green tea has benefits on enhancing cognitive functions in humans. The team determined in a series of experiments that test subjects who consumed this type of tea exhibited better overall working memory performances than their peers who did not.
In a paper published in a recent issue of the journal Psychopharmacology, the team says that these results build upon those obtained by previous investigations, which have shown that green tea reduces cancer risks and maintains overall health in the human body. This is achieved through the nutrients and antioxidants that this tea contains, PsychCentral reports.
One of the reasons why this study is important is that its conclusions may soon be translated into clinical applications, especially when it comes to treating conditions such as dementia. Cognitive impairments wreak havoc among seniors, so having a basic method of reducing their effects would go a long way towards improving quality of life for patients and reducing healthcare system costs.
As for how green tea produces its effects, “our findings suggest that green tea might increase the short-term synaptic plasticity of the brain,” explains Basel researcher Stefan Borgwardt, MD, PhD. Experts have long since determined that the beverage was good for the brain, but the exact mechanism behind this connection had remained hidden until now.