Preventing Cognitive Decline: 3 Proven Strategies

This is interesting. Is there a particular type of tea that is recommended? Can you take a green tea extract supplement instead of drinking tea and get the same benefits?

In the study discussed above, researchers used a questionnaire to assess the effects of both tea and coffee consumption on cognitive health over a 14-year period. They analyzed this data, collected from more than 4,800 men and women aged 65 and older, and were able to correlate tea-drinking with decreased rates of cognitive decline. I'm assuming that the type of tea was basically up to the study participant, but in most cases was probably primarily green and black tea. (Coffee consumption was not shown to have any such effect, except at the very highest level of intake.)

Many other studies (using both green tea and standardized green tea extracts) have shown that green tea's EGCG has protective effects on the brain. It has been shown to help detoxify beta-amyloid and toxic iron from brain cells, and even reverse brain cell degeneration.

The antioxidant effects of the EGCG found in green tea extracts have been well documented. We recommend 450 mg daily of an extract standardized to at least 50% EGCG. This is about the equivalent of 3 cups of green tea daily.