A recent small scale study looks for differences in connectivity in the brains of people who drink tea regularly and those who rarely drink tea. The findings seem encouraging, but much more work is needed.
Spending just a few moments searching the internet for the health benefits of tea produces hundreds of supposed benefits.
However, despite people's commonly held beliefs that tea can heal all ills, finding substantial evidence to back up these claims is more challenging. This is especially true when searching for tea's benefits on brain health.
Although there is no definitive evidence, some studies have identified certain associations between tea drinking and mental health. For instance, one study found that depressive symptoms were less common in older adults who drank tea consistently and frequently.
Another study, using 2,501 participants, concluded that "Regular tea consumption was associated with lower risks of cognitive impairment and decline."
Some researchers have focused on more specific cognitive benefits of drinking tea. One experiment, which involved just 58 participants, concluded that drinking black tea enhanced attention and alertness.
The most recent research, from the National University of Singapore, adds a little more information to the sparse evidence that is currently available. The authors published their study in the journal Aging.
