Green Tea Eases Depression
If the holiday season has left you with a case of the perma-blues, sip green tea (or take a green tea extract). Japanese researchers report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that people who consume green tea frequently experience fewer symptoms of depression.
After observing 1,058 elderly Japanese individuals aged 70+ with a tendency to have mild or severe depressive symptoms, researchers found that those who drank more than four cups of green tea daily, compared to those who didn’t drink even one, had a 44% decrease in their depression episodes.
How? Besides the powerful antioxidant EGCG, green tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that is known to relax the brain and may contribute to green tea’s mental health benefits. What’s more: The findings from this study are in line with previous research that has linked the antioxidant elixir with mental health benefits. (K Niu, A Hozawa, S Kuriyama, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. Published online ahead of print: doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28216.)
The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: Depression in the elderly is highly prevalent and can increase the risk and worsen the outcome of other medical illnesses, as well as possibly increase mortality. If the blues are getting the best of your moods, try increasing your green tea consumption. If things don’t improve, seek professional help.
