Green tea is one of the oldest beverages known to man. Its roots can be traced as far back as ancient China where it was a revered form of medicine used to treat numerous ailments. The beverage’s known benefits include weight loss, cancer prevention, improved dental health, diabetes prevention and a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Now, new studies have linked green tea and its extracts to improved cognitive functions in the brain, particularly when it comes to the working memory. Keep reading to learn more about the amazing benefits of green tea for brain power.

Why Green Tea is Such a Healthful Beverage

Green tea is a known elixir of health largely due to the fact that it’s chock full of essential bioactive compounds. The drink is widely known for its high antioxidant and catechin content and its effectiveness as a great metabolism booster [1].

Recently, more studies have been putting the spotlight on another vital bioactive compound of green tea, a flavonoid known as ‘Epigallocatechin Gallate Polyphenol,’ or EGCG for short. Studies have shown that EGCG provides both short-term and long-term benefits to the cognitive parts of the brain.

Drinking Green Tea for Brain Power

The recent studies show that when consumed, green tea enhances the connectivity in the parts of the brain that are associated with working memory. The most promising investigative study conducted in relation to this scientific revelation was led by Professors Stefan Borgwadt and Christopher Beglinger from the University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland.

In the study, 12 men of sound health were given beverages containing an amount of green tea extract that was equivalent to about two cups of green tea. The volunteers were not aware that they were consuming green tea extract but were given weekly doses of the drink for four weeks.

A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner was used to determine whether the green tea extracts caused any changes in the connectivity inside specific parts of their brains.

At the end of the study, a significant increase in the connectivity in the regions of the brain associated with working memory was observed. According to Borgwadt, green tea extracts improved the cognitive capabilities of a healthy brain [1], [2], [6].

While the bioactive compound EGCG was previously touted mainly as a promising natural remedy for the treatment of cancer, specifically breast cancer, [1] this Swiss study was the first to probe into the benefits of green tea for brain power.

Green Tea in the Treatment of Down Syndrome

In another study, Mara Dierssen of the CRG-Center for Genomic Regulation in Spain found that EGCG could be useful to treat some of the symptoms of Down syndrome [6]. This genetic condition arises due to the natural occurrence of an extra chromosome 21. This chromosome induces the overexpression of more genes inside the cells and detrimentally, the production of more proteins which cause significant physical and mental disabilities.

Dierssen conducted a study on 87 people suffering from Down syndrome for a period of 12 months, during which they received cognitive training. The group was divided into two, one of which was given EGCG pills while the other was given a placebo. At the end of the study, brain scans showed significant cognitive improvements in the brains of the patients on EGCG medication.  Researchers observed notable improvements in the connectivity between those nerve cells which are responsible for cognitive functions [6].

This study further confirmed that green tea’s ability to improve the brain function in both healthy and impaired people is real.

Should we be Consuming More Green Tea?

Yes, we should! It’s generally recommended to consume around three cups of green tea daily. It’s also advisable to substitute coffee with this healthy beverage since it also contains caffeine, although in less concentrated amounts.

It was previously thought that it was the caffeine in green tea responsible for improved mental focus. However, it’s now clear that the compound EGCG is largely to thank.

Even if consumed in fairly large amounts, green tea has no serious side effects. It will significantly improve your working memory and in the long run, keep degenerative mental conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia at bay [3], [5].

Maximize the Holistic Benefits of this Healthful Elixir

Different types of green tea will have different concentrations of useful bioactive compounds. Additionally, you can also maximize the benefits of green tea by adding just a touch of lemon juice to your beverage.

This is an instant brain-boosting concoction that will immediately improve your mental focus and memory. The vitamin C in the lemon juice will also trigger the increased absorption of catechins into your body by up to five times! [5]

On the other hand, green tea should not be consumed with milk – the proteins in milk may neutralize the beverage’s antioxidants [5]

A Brief Green Tea Buying Guide

When going out to buy green tea, there are a number of things you need to take into consideration to find the best product for you. You’re likely wondering things like “What’s the best green tea brand?” or “Packet vs loose leaf?” While purchasing and brewing the best green tea is a rather complicated subject, let’s at least cover some of the basics.

The Source

Generally speaking, you’re going to have the choice between two countries when choosing a green tea product: China and Japan. Chinese food and beverage products get a bad rap due to issues like pollution and rampant pesticide use. But would it be fair to dismiss all green tea from such a huge country?

On the other hand, Japanese products have long been associated with quality. But the recent (and ongoing) Fukushima disaster, however, has shown that neither the government nor local food producers there can always be trusted.

That’s why, rather than simply looking at the country, you should look at a number of factors when buying green tea. First of all, see where it’s from in that particular country. Some of the best Chinese green tea comes from Longjing, just outside of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The Biluochun type of green tea is also renowned for its quality. It’s grown in the region around Lake Tai, namely Jiangsu Province.

While China has dozens of varieties of green tea, Japan has several of its own as well. One of the most popular is called Sencha, which is also considered to be among the highest quality. Some of the best Sencha comes from Shizuoka Prefecture. A lot of high quality green tea is also grown in the Kyoto region.

Also, you want to make sure to buy green tea products that have been certified as both organic and GMO. Japanese products are generally non-GMO by default, though not necessarily organic. Also note that if you’re purchasing the teas in the country of origin, neither Japan nor China are really big on organic labelling.

Loose Leaf vs Tea Bag

Generally speaking, loose leaf green tea contains more of the good stuff than the kind that comes in tea bags. So that means if you want to experience the full health benefits of green tea, along with tasting the best flavor, brewing your own loose leaf tea may be the best option.

Here is an example of some organic loose leaf Longjing tea available online. And Sencha is widely available as well.

The downside, though, is that brewing your own green tea can be very tricky. You need the right kind of teapot and also to brew it for just the right amount of time. But the process changes depending on exactly what type of green tea you’re brewing! While we’re not going to get into that here, you should definitely do some research online after making your purchase.

That’s why tea bags are going to be the most practical for many. Don’t worry – you’ll still be deriving many of the health and brain-boosting benefits of green tea, and the top varieties of green tea are also commonly available in tea bag form.

You just want to avoid the products that don’t give any information about the source or type of tea on the packaging. Simply buying “Green Tea” just isn’t good enough.

What About Matcha?

Matcha is a form of green tea that’s neither loose leaf nor in a tea bag. It’s green tea in powdered form which is then mixed whole together with hot water. Furthermore, the leaves chosen for matcha are typically especially high quality, and Matcha has been shown to contain fewer contaminants that other varieties. And yes, Matcha contains even more antioxidants and EGCG than any other form of green tea!

So why bother with anything else? Why not just stick to Matcha? Well, as you might expect, Matcha’s high quality comes with a price. This article by ConsumerLab puts it best: “Even though matcha powders had higher concentration of EGCG (50 to 55 mg per gram) than brewed teas (about 20 to 40 mg per gram), the cost to obtain 200 mg of EGCG was still much higher…” (7)

If you can afford Matcha, then go for it. Here’s one of the more affordable matcha products on Amazon, which also ticks all the important boxes (organic, non-GMO, etc.)

Matcha is growing in popularity these days, and it’s being used in all sorts of products. “Matcha lattes” are commonly sold at coffee chains around the world now, but with tons of added milk and sugar. There’s also matcha ice cream and even matcha chocolate. But if you want to experience the real benefits of matcha and its brain-boosting EGCG polyphenols, stick to pure, unsweetened matcha tea.

EGCG Pills

Either don’t like the taste of green tea or trying to cut down on caffeine? Well, there is an easy solution out there for you. You can simply buy green tea extract in pill form!

There are plenty of products to choose from online, but this one by Zenwise comes with added vitamin C. As we mentioned, vitamin C and green tea are very cooperative partners when it comes to increasing focus, energy, and removing toxins from the body.

In conclusion:

• Green tea will improve your short-term cognitive abilities, such as your working memory
• Green tea can improve the cognitive abilities of people suffering from Down syndrome, Alzheimer’s, and dementia
• Drinking green tea with a squirt of lemon juice will drastically improve your body’s ability to absorb catechins

There’s no shortage of reasons as to why green tea is possibly the healthiest beverage in existence. Starting or ending your day with a cup of green tea will significantly improve your overall health on both a mental and physical level.

Sources

1. https://www.naturalnews.com/050406_green_tea_working_memory_Alzheimers.html

2. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/Drink-green-tea-to-boost-your-brain-power/articleshow/22442540.cms

3. https://authoritynutrition.com/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea/

4. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140407101545.htm

5. https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/04/23/green-tea-dementia.aspx

6. https://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/16/health/green-tea-health-brain-down-syndrome/index.html?eref=edition

7. https://www.consumerlab.com/news/Is+Matcha+a+Better+Form+of+Green+Tea/10_14_2015/

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