13th November, 2007: Fighting Dementia with Tea
Following a recent scientific symposium on tea and human health, we’ve learned how tea benefits our attention spans. But that is only a small part of the story. Tea consumption may also help maintain brain function as we grow older.
According to a press release issued by symposium organizers, data from a host of scientific studies “suggest that drinking tea, especially rich in catechins, may help support the brain as we age.” Going one step further, they state that “… tea consumption is inversely correlated with the incidence of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.”
Dr. Silvia Mandel, of the Eve Topf Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Israel, has studied the effects of tea on brain function for over a decade. Her most recent data, presented at the symposium, indicated that an antioxidant in green tea “appeared to prevent brain cells from dying, and showed improvements in reducing compounds that lead to lesions in the brains of animals with Alzheimer’s disease.”
Results from the research of Mandel and others may help to explain why Asian populations, known for higher tea consumption, suffer from significantly lower incidence rates of age-related neurological disorders than Europeans or Americans.
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am |
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My 80-year-old mom is in a nursing home due to a massive stroke. She has severe damage but retains all of her memories, her sense of humor and her ability to make us laugh. Her doctor commented, “She must be wicked smart to be able to still be herself after all of the damage I saw on that MRI!” Well, mom’s a Bigelow tea drinker from a way back I still keep her supplied with her own personal stash at the home, too.
A side note: I have Sjogren’s Syndrome and a study I read recently says that green tea can help the dry mouth associated with this disease. So I tried this…and it works!
Comment by Judy — December 9, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
Judy,
Thanks so much for sharing your story! It means a lot!
All the best to you and your mom.
Valorie for Bigelow Tea
Comment by Valorie — December 10, 2007 @ 9:02 am