Green tea has long been revered as a memory booster by Chinese herbalists. Now, scientists have confirmed the connection and also discovered the chemical properties that account for its brain-boosting powers.
Researchers from the Third Military Medical University in China have found a key compound in green tea – the organic chemical EGCG (short for epigallocatechin-3 gallate) – is a potent anti-oxidant that has a beneficial effect against age-related degenerative diseases.
"Green tea is a popular beverage across the world," said lead researcher Yun Bai, who reported the findings in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. "There has been plenty of scientific attention on its use in helping prevent cardiovascular diseases, but now there is emerging evidence that its chemical properties may impact cellular mechanisms in the brain."
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In studies involving laboratory mice, the Chinese team found ECGC boosts the production of “neural progenitor cells,” which like stem cells can adapt, or differentiate, into various types of brain cells. Increased brain cell production, they noted, appears to boost brain power.
"We ran tests on two groups of mice, one which had imbibed ECGC and a control group," said Bai. "First the mice were trained for three days to find a visible platform in their maze. Then they were trained for seven days to find a hidden platform."
The team found that the ECGC-treated mice required less time to find the hidden platform, indicating it enhances learning and memory.
"This helps us to understand the potential for EGCG, and green tea which contains it, to help combat degenerative diseases and memory loss," Bai said.
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