Green
tea is good for you. No, wait, that’s not quite right.
Green
tea is really good for you. No, that
doesn’t quite capture it.
“Green
Tea May Prevent Alzheimer's Disease, Say Four New Studies.” Ok, I cheated,
because that’s the headline of a recent Forbes
article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2013/06/30/green-tea-may-prevent-alzheimers-say-four-new-studies/
As
a brain tumor survivor, I’m always worried about being susceptible to Alzheimer’s,
dementia and other brain issues. Luckily, I’ve just read this article by Melanie
Haiken which summarizes four different scientific studies whichsay drinking
green tea seems to be really, really
good for brain function.
For
example Haiken notes that, “Writing in the University of Michigan’s NeuroHealth
blog last week, prominent neurologist Henry L. Paulson, MD describes the
powerful properties of EGCG (official name: epigallocatechin-3-gallate), a
flavonoid in green tea. EGCG, Paulson says, appears to protect the brain from
the accumulation of amyloid plaques that scientists believe cause the brain
deterioration associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.”
The
three other studies have similarly good things to say about green tea.
What
I really like about Haiken’s article is her no-nonsense, very practical
summary: “So what does this mean for you? Studies like this are always
published with caveats saying that the evidence can’t be considered definitive
until larger and more definitive human studies are done.
But
when it comes to green tea, there really isn’t much of a downside to argue
about. No one has ever shown green tea to be harmful to health, and studies
have also shown it to be protective against breast cancer and possibly other
conditions such as Parkinson’s. I’m guessing the researchers who performed
these studies are pouring themselves cups of green tea right now, and I’m about
to do the same.”
Image
credit: <a
href='http://www.123rf.com/photo_16485690_matcha-green-tea-bowl-cup-and-black-bamboo.html'>jiravan
/ 123RF Stock Photo</a>
