Green Tea May Help Prevent Alzheimer's, Studies Suggest

Many sing the praises of green tea and the benefits it can have, but a new study found that the positive effects it can have might reach farther than previously thought.

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that a flavonoid in green tea known as EGCG protects the brain from the amyloid plaque buildup. Scientists believe these plaques cause the brain deterioration associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to Forbes.

In addition to this finding, a similar study was published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study consisted of 12 people who were given a beverage and then asked to perform a "memory-stimulating task." The participants received either two different doses of green tea or a placebo drink that contained no green tea, according to Forbes. Those who had drunk the green tea extract had increased activity in the dorsolateral prefontal cortex, an area of the brain that processes working memory. Research also found that there was a greater increase in brain activity at the higher dosage of green tea.

While further research is still needed on the subject, an article in the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter that discussed some of this research, said, "green tea may someday be a potent weapon in the fight against Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia," according to Forbes.