Either in a hot mug or over ice, people love tea. It’s the most popular beverage globally, with 3 billion cups consumed every day.
Tea is prepared by seeping the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant in hot water. The true types are green, white, black, and oolong. The difference between them depends on how long the leaves are oxidized and fermented.
Therapeutic Teas
Beyond its delicious taste, people have appreciated tea’s therapeutic and soothing qualities for centuries. Feeling under the weather – soothe yourself with tea, lemon, and honey. Afternoon energy slump – black tea perks you right up. Had a stressful day – curl up with a cup of oolong.
Numerous studies show that the health benefits of tea are more than folklore; they are rooted in science. Tea has been shown to benefit your body in a myriad of ways. It revs up your metabolism, reduces the risk of certain chronic diseases, improves oral hygiene, and supports a balanced gut microbiome, to name a few. (1-4)
And while some brews may have more advantages than others, there’s plenty of evidence that consuming all teas has lasting health benefits, particularly for your brain.
So, let’s look at why and how your brain benefits from drinking tea and why you should be drinking more of it.
Improve Alertness + Mental Performance
Tea contains two elements that affect the brain: L-theanine and caffeine.
L-theanine is an amino acid that is, by and large, uniquely found in tea. It’s believed that L-theanine affects the brain chemicals dopamine and serotonin, which influence your mood, sleep cycle, and alertness. (5)
Caffeine is a stimulant that speeds up messages through the central nervous system to your brain, helping you feel more awake and alert.
Studies consistently show that caffeine and L-theanine’s unique combination in tea improves short-term attention levels and task performance. (5)
Reduce Stress
Experts believe that the combination of L-theanine present in most teas and the processes of making tea – seeping the leaves and holding the warm cup in your hands – has a calming effect. Numerous studies have proven what most people have personally experienced; tea helps you unwind and bring down stress levels.
In one notable study, researchers discovered that drinking tea not only relieved stress after performing a stressful task, but stress fell below pre-task levels. (7)
Postpone Cognitive Decline
In a review of tea consumption and cognitive decline, there is growing evidence that drinking as little as 1 cup and up to 6 cups a day could reduce the risk of dementia. (6)
All teas contain flavonoids which are naturally occurring compounds that act as antioxidants. Tea flavonoids help neutralize free radicals, which cause oxidative stress, an established pathway to dementia. Studies also suggest that tea provides robust protection against one of the most common forms of dementia – vascular dementia.
Fully Support Your Brain Health
Drinking just one cup a day of L-theanine and flavonoid-rich tea helps perk you up and may help protect your brain from oxidative damage and age-related cognitive decline.
Another way to support your brain health is by including a quality brain health supplement in your daily routine like Stonehenge Health’s Dynamic Brain.
Take Dynamic Brain™ daily to promote optimal cognitive function leading to sharper memory, quicker processing, and more concentration, drive, and creativity. And with the inclusion of Green Tea Extract, you may also feel a boost of mental energy with Dynamic Brain™.
Sources:
1. Rothenberg DO, Zhou C, Zhang L. A Review on the Weight-Loss Effects of Oxidized Tea Polyphenols. Molecules. 2018;23(5):1176. Published 2018 May 14. doi:10.3390/molecules23051176 – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6099746/
2. Green tea may lower heart disease risk – Harvard Health. (2012). Retrieved 31 May 2022, from health.harvard.edu/heart-health/green-tea-may-lower-heart-disease-risk#:~:text=Studies%20suggest%20this%20light%2C%20aromatic%20tea%20may%20lower,possible%20links%20between%20green%20tea%20and%20cardiovascular%20disease
3. Tea is good for teeth – Oral Health Group. (2016). Retrieved 31 May 2022, from https://www.oralhealthgroup.com/dentistry/tea-is-good-for-teeth-1003919369/
4. Pérez-Burillo S, Navajas-Porras B, López-Maldonado A, Hinojosa-Nogueira D, Pastoriza S, Rufián-Henares JÁ. Green Tea and Its Relation to Human Gut Microbiome. Molecules. 2021;26(13):3907. Published 2021 Jun 26. doi:10.3390/molecules26133907 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8271705/
5. De Bruin EA, Rowson MJ, Van Buren L, Rycroft JA, Owen GN. Black tea improves attention and self-reported alertness. Appetite. 2011 Apr;56(2):235-40. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2010.12.011. Epub 2010 Dec 21. PMID: 21172396. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21172396/
6. Can drinking tea prevent dementia? – Harvard Health. (2017). Retrieved 31 May 2022, from health.harvard.edu/alzheimers-and-dementia/regular-tea-drinking-linked-with-dementia-prevention
7. Does A Cup Of Tea Reduce Stress?. (2022). Retrieved 31 May 2022, from medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160668
