How Green Tea Boosts Memory and Special Awareness

What can’t green tea do? It seems that with each passing month, scientists find new and wonderful benefits of this age old beverage. Now, researchers in China have determined the elixir may help with memory and special awareness, potentially combating age-related cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Green Tea for Memory and Special Awareness

According to MedicalNewsToday.com, scientists used mice to determine the effects of EGCG (the active antioxidant in green tea) on memory. They found that those mice who were treated with EGCG found their way through a maze faster than those who were not. All of the mice, those who took EGCG and those who didn’t, were trained on finding a platform in the maze.

The scientists concluded:

“We have shown that organic chemical EGCG acts directly to increase the production of neural progenitor cells, both in glass tests and in mice. This helps us to understand the potential for EGCG, and green tea which contains it, to help combat degenerative diseases and memory loss.”

The researchers believe this happens by increasing the generation of neuron cells, in a process called neurogenesis. This means green tea could actually increase production of brain cells. The study focused specifically on the hippocampus, where memory is processed.

Not only did the ECGC help neurogenesis, but the type of cells created are called neural progenitor cells. Similar to stem cells, these turn into many different types of cells, potentially indicating a route for future research in applying this cell growth to other physiological improvements.

Other Green Tea Benefits

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, this isn’t the first you’ve heard of the benefits of green tea. It’s been connected to cancer prevention, reduced stress, anti-aging and more. Here are is some research showcasing a handful of the health benefits of green tea.

• An article published in the journal of Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, shows that tea flavonoids (catechins) possess antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities, to penetrate the brain barrier and to protect neuronal death in a wide array of cellular and animal models of neurological diseases.
• One study conducted by the UCLA and published in 2005 was the first to prove that green tea extract was able to target cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone
• Antioxidants found in green tea provide anti-aging benefits and pave the way for graceful aging. Research shows that those who drink green tea are more agile and medically independent as they age.
• Japanese researchers conducted research involving 42,093 individuals, 2,774 of which suffered from psychological stress and said green tea helped to lessen that stress. They found that drinking five cups of the tea each day could reduce stress by 20%.

Other Ways to Improve Memory

While green tea can be a fabulous memory-booster, there are other ways to enhance memory. Here are things you can do to improve memory:

• Lose weight.
• Consume berries.
• Consume green vegetables.
• Consume foods rich in omega-3 fats such as nuts and fish.
• Consume B vitamins.
• Socialize.
• DON’T consume high-fructose corn syrup.