Whether you drink earl grey tea over the morning paper, green tea to energize your day, or chamomile tea to help you fall asleep, you may be doing a great service for your brain.
A new study from the National University of Singapore found a cup of tea a day can keep dementia away, especially for those who are genetically predisposed to the debilitating disease.
The longitudinal study was performed over 7 years involving 957 Chinese seniors aged 55 years or older.
Information on lifestyles, medical conditions, physical and social activities were also collected.
Those potential confounding factors were carefully controlled in statistical models to ensure an accurate study.
The researchers found that regular drinking of tea lowers the risk of cognitive decline in the elderly by 50%. [R]
More so, drinkers who were genetically predisposed to developing Alzheimer’s disease may experience a reduction in cognitive impairment risk by as much as 86%.
Along with these groundbreaking statistics, the research also noted that it didn’t matter the type of tea consumed, as long as the tea is brewed from leaves like green or black tea.
“While the study was conducted on Chinese elderly, the results could apply to other races as well. Our findings have important implications for dementia prevention.”
“Despite high quality drug trials, effective pharmacological therapy for neurocognitive disorders such as dementia remains elusive and current prevention strategies are far from satisfactory” , explained lead researcher Prof Feng Lei.
“Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. The data from our study suggests that a simple and inexpensive lifestyle measure such as daily tea drinking can reduce a person’s risk of developing neurocognitive disorders in late life,” he added.
Lei and his team believe these health benefits come from teas bioactive compounds such as catechins, theaflavins thearubigins, and l-theanine.
Each of these compounds in tea exhibit potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that protect the brain from vascular damage and neurodegeneration.
And that’s all just from a single cup of tea a day!
If you already drink tea, then you should feel very good about this healthy habit.
If you’re not currently a tea drinker, do these new findings spark any interest in starting?
Whether you already drink tea or not, we would love to know your thoughts by leaving a comment in the comments section below.
Ouro Vitae, A First Finisher LLC Company, 900 Commonwealth Place PMB 2135 Virginia Beach, VA 23464
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
©2022 Ouro Vitae. All rights reserved.
1. Cavallini, G., Caracciolo, S., Vitali, G., Modenini, F., & Biagiotti, G. (2004). Carnitine versus androgen administration in the treatment of sexual dysfunction, depressed mood, and fatigue associated with male aging. Urology, 63(4), 641-646. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2003.11.009
2. Malaguarnera, M., Cammalleri, L., Gargante, M. P., Vacante, M., Colonna, V., & Motta, M. (2007). L-Carnitine treatment reduces severity of physical and mental fatigue and increases cognitive functions in centenarians: A randomized and controlled clinical trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 86(6), 1738-1744. doi:10.1093/ajcn/86.5.1738
3. Karlic, H., & Lohninger, A. (2004). Supplementation of l-carnitine in athletes: Does it make sense? Nutrition, 20(7-8), 709-715. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2004.04.003
4. Samimi, M., Jamilian, M., Ebrahimi, F. A., Rahimi, M., Tajbakhsh, B., & Asemi, Z. (2016). Oral carnitine supplementation reduces body weight and insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Clinical Endocrinology,84(6), 851-857. doi:10.1111/cen.13003
5. Sahlin, K. (2011). Boosting fat burning with carnitine: An old friend comes out from the shadow. The Journal of Physiology, 589(7), 1509-1510. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2011.205815
6. Soczynska, J. K., Kennedy, S. H., Chow, C. S., Woldeyohannes, H. O., Konarski, J. Z., & Mcintyre, R. S. (2008). Acetyl-L-carnitine and α-lipoic acid: Possible neurotherapeutic agents for mood disorders? Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs, 17(6), 827-843. doi:10.1517/13543784.17.6.827
7. Miyagawa, T., Kawamura, H., Obuchi, M., Ikesaki, A., Ozaki, A., Tokunaga, K., . . . Honda, M. (2013). Effects of Oral L-Carnitine Administration in Narcolepsy Patients: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Cross-Over and Placebo-Controlled Trial. PLoS ONE,8(1). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053707
8. Cristofano, A., Sapere, N., Marca, G. L., Angiolillo, A., Vitale, M., Corbi, G., . . . Costanzo, A. D. (2016). Serum Levels of Acyl-Carnitines along the Continuum from Normal to Alzheimers Dementia. Plos One, 11(5). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0155694
. Fillit, H., & Hill, J. (2004). The Economic Benefits of Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors for Patients with Alzheimer Disease and Associated Dementias. Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders,18. doi:10.1097/01.wad.0000127492.65032.d3
10. Miyata, M., Yoshihisa, A., Yamauchi, H., Owada, T., Sato, T., Suzuki, S., . . . Takeishi, Y. (2014). Impact of sleep-disordered breathing on myocardial damage and metabolism in patients with chronic heart failure. Heart and Vessels, 30(3), 318-324. doi:10.1007/s00380-014-0479-6
11. Lango, R. (2001). Influence of ?-carnitine and its derivatives on myocardial metabolism and function in ischemic heart disease and during cardiopulmonary bypass. Cardiovascular Research, 51(1), 21-29. doi:10.1016/s0008-6363(01)00313-3
12. Vescovo, G., Ravara, B., Gobbo, V., Sandri, M., Angelini, A., Barbera, M. D., . . . Libera, L. D. (2002). L-Carnitine: A potential treatment for blocking apoptosis and preventing skeletal muscle myopathy in heart failure. American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology, 283(3). doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00046.2002
13. Shadboorestan, A., Shokrzadeh, M., Ahangar, N., Abdollahi, M., Omidi, M., & Payam, S. S. (2013). The chemoprotective effects of l-carnitine against genotoxicity induced by diazinon in rat blood lymphocyte. Toxicology and Industrial Health,31(12), 1334-1340. doi:10.1177/0748233713491811
14. Chowanadisai, W., Bauerly, K. A., Tchaparian, E., Wong, A., Cortopassi, G. A., & Rucker, R. B. (2009). Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Stimulates Mitochondrial Biogenesis through cAMP Response Element-binding Protein Phosphorylation and Increased PGC-1α Expression. Journal of Biological Chemistry,285(1), 142-152. doi:10.1074/jbc.m109.030130
15. Chowanadisai, W., Bauerly, K. A., Tchaparian, E., Wong, A., Cortopassi, G. A., & Rucker, R. B. (2009). Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Stimulates Mitochondrial Biogenesis through cAMP Response Element-binding Protein Phosphorylation and Increased PGC-1α Expression. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 285(1), 142-152. doi:10.1074/jbc.m109.030130
16. Stites TE, Mitchell AE, Rucker RB. Physiological importance of quinoenzymes and the O-quinone family of cofactors. J Nutr. 2000 Apr;130(4):719-27
17. Steinberg, F., Stites, T. E., Anderson, P., Storms, D., Chan, I., Eghbali, S., & Rucker, R. (2003). Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Improves Growth and Reproductive Performance in Mice Fed Chemically Defined Diets. Experimental Biology and Medicine, 228(2), 160-166. doi:10.1177/153537020322800205
18. Biswas, T. K., Pandit, S., Mondal, S., Biswas, S. K., Jana, U., Ghosh, T., . . . Auddy, B. (2010). Clinical evaluation of spermatogenic activity of processed Shilajit in oligospermia. Andrologia,42(1), 48-56. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0272.2009.00956.x
19. Surapaneni, D. K., Adapa, S. R., Preeti, K., Teja, G. R., Veeraragavan, M., & Krishnamurthy, S. (2012). Shilajit attenuates behavioral symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome by modulating the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and mitochondrial bioenergetics in rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 143(1), 91-99. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2012.06.002
20. Chang, C. S., Choi, J. B., Kim, H. J., & Park, S. B. (2011). Correlation Between Serum Testosterone Level and Concentrations of Copper and Zinc in Hair Tissue. Biological Trace Element Research,144(1-3), 264-271. doi:10.1007/s12011-011-9085-y
21. Plasma Steroid-Binding Proteins in Tumour Diseases. (1984). Molecular Aspects of Medicine, 371-380. doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-033239-0.50032-6
I love sweet tea