With temperatures dropping day by day until winter comes, it is even more enjoyable to have a cup of tea in the morning or before bed, right?
Teas are already our old acquaintances when it comes to giving the body a little strength to improve its processes of cure of respiratory diseases, digestion and elimination of toxins, being a very popular drink worldwide.
What's new, though, is that, in addition to the benefits to the body, can drinking tea also do good for our brain? more specifically, reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's by up to 86%.
This was the result of a study published this year by the National University of Singapore and may reveal a very inexpensive way to lessen the chances of this disease.
How Tea Can Prevent Alzheimer's
The Singapore survey involved 950 people aged 55 and older and studied their tea drinking habits between 2003 and 2005. Then, in the following years until 2010, researchers followed the participants, assessing their cognitive functions according to certain standards.
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The result was that those who drank regularly had a 50% reduction in their risk of developing neurocognitive disorders. The power of tea proved even more impressive for people who had a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's: in this case, the risk of the disease was reduced by 86%.
The substances in tea that make it so special are catechins and theaflavins, which contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and protect the brain from aging.
According to a study published in 2013, tea-derived theanine and caffeine helped their consumers perform better at work. Combined with L-theanine, caffeine becomes an amino acid that reduces mental fatigue while improving memory and giving the brain more access.
In addition, research published in 2012 on mice showed that the EGCG substance found in green tea also helps improve memory. EGCG increases the production of neural progenitor cells, which can be adapted by the brain as needed.
How to consume your tea to enjoy the benefits
The good news: Any kind of tea has this protective effect against Alzheimer's, so you can choose your favorite flavor. However, it is important that the tea is made from the leaves of the plant and that it is consumed regularly.
Read also: Understand Alzheimer's Disease
Although tea bags are not detrimental to our health, teas made from them do not have the same benefits as brewing the leaves, which can be fresh or dried.
Also, it is important to avoid a very long infusion. In the case of green tea, 2 to 3 minutes of infusion is sufficient. For the other teas, 3 to 5 minutes is the ideal time. When tea is brewed for a longer time, the plants eventually release tannins, which make the drink bitter.
And of course, you need to pay attention to the products you will use if you sweeten your tea. Instead of using refined sugar, prefer to add a teaspoon of honey.
Did you like this news? It's a nice incentive to increase the consumption of these delicious drinks, isn't it?
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