Your Brain on Tea: What Are the Benefits?

Many people claim tea enhances the brain’s performance and keeps this essential organ healthy. These claims were once considered anecdotal, but recent research reveals that tea may actually have positive benefits on the brain. Whether you want to fend off dementia or boost your mood, a warm cup of tea may be just what's needed.

Tea warms you up on a chilly day, but it may also be a mood booster and improve mental performance. In fact, it might even reduce the risk of cognitive decline for frequent sippers. Let's look at the science.

Enhances Mental Health

After a rough day, many of us find ourselves curled up on the sofa, savoring a steaming mug of herbal tea. It turns out, this has backing. Sipping hot tea helps calm us down when we’re stressed, and it may also reduce the risk of developing depression. A 2019 study indicates that consuming tea regularly may lower the chances of experiencing depressive symptoms, particularly in elderly men.Some tea contains L-Theanine, an amino acid that promotes relaxation. This ingredient can be found in green tea and other herbal blends. When L-Theanine joins forces with caffeine, it helps boost cognitive function. L-Theanine is also found in coffee and cola.

Increases Mental Alertness

Drinking tea can improve cognitive health now, as well as in the future. Black tea helps make us more alert, which in turn helps with focus and improves awareness. Many also notice that mental alertness improves when they sip green tea or other caffeinated blends.

Lowers Dementia Risk

Drinking tea may even help prevent dementia, a memory impairment that affects approximately 50 million people around the world. A Singapore study found that participants who drank tea over the course of 5 years had a 50% lower risk of developing dementia. The benefits were seen with green, black and oolong teas. Researchers are unsure why tea helps reduce the risk of dementia but believe it may come from tea’s flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory benefits.

Improves Cognitive Functioning

Over time, regular drinkers may also discover that consuming tea boosts overall brain function. A Singapore study reveals that tea drinkers may experience improved brain connectivity in the "default mode network," which connects several areas of the brain. Simply put, the brain may find it easier to transmit information, which improves empathy, strengthens reasoning skills and makes it easier to plan for the future.

These results aren’t guaranteed, but the research looks promising. Those who aren’t already tea drinkers may want to consider incorporating this soothing beverage into their daily routines.

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