Drink green tea to prevent brain aging! Improve your memory & brain training habits for adults

Introduction

"As you get older, it's inevitable that you'll forget things more."

Don't you think so?

It's true that as we age, our memory and ability to concentrate naturally declines, but this decline may not just be a result of aging, but may also be due to the aging of the brain.

In recent years, the average life expectancy of Japanese people has continued to increase, but the gap between this and healthy life expectancy remains an issue.

Healthy life expectancy refers to the period during which one can live independently without their daily activities being restricted by health problems.

In other words, the importance of not only living a long life but also living a healthy life with a high quality of life (QOL) is now emphasized.

To that end, one thing we can do now is to prevent brain aging.

In fact, it has been suggested that green tea, a drink that is familiar to us all, may be useful in preventing brain aging.

In this article, we will explain in detail how green tea prevents brain aging, the scientific basis for this, and how to incorporate it into your diet.

What is brain aging?

Our brains generally begin to shrink gradually in our 30s and 40s, and the rate of shrinkage accelerates as we age.

When it comes to the brain, not only the number of nerve cells is important, but also the number of "neurites" that connect the cells together.

Neurons form complex networks and smoothly transmit information, supporting advanced brain functions such as memory, learning, and thinking.

When we are young, our brains are full of vitality, with many nerve cells and neurites.

However, as we age, the number of nerve cells and neurites decreases and the density of the network declines, causing a decrease in brain volume and the onset of atrophy.

Brain atrophy can lead to a decline in memory, concentration, judgment, and other abilities, and can interfere with daily life.

This is the background to the phenomenon known as "we remember things worse as we get older" and "unlike when we were younger, it's hard to learn new things."

Ingredients in green tea and their effects on the brain

It has been confirmed that the catechins contained in green tea, especially EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and reach the brain, albeit in small amounts.

It also promotes the growth and differentiation of brain nerve cells and supports the formation of new networks.

Even more surprisingly, EGCG is metabolized in the body and converted into a substance called EGC-M5, which is also expected to enter the brain and promote the growth of brain cells.

In other words, drinking green tea may promote the activation of brain cells in two stages.

Green tea is indeed the perfect drink for brain anti-aging.

It has also been suggested that the component "theanine" contained in green tea may also be effective in preventing brain aging.

Theanine is known for its stress-reducing effects, and in modern society, stress is the brain's biggest enemy.

Excessive stress can cause brain atrophy, leading to declines in memory, concentration, judgment, and more.

Theanine is thought to protect the brain from this stress and help keep it healthy.

Green tea is a powerful ally in maintaining brain health and helping you maintain youthful thinking.

The relationship between green tea intake and cognitive function

There has been a lot of research done on the effect of drinking green tea on cognitive function of the brain.

For example, a study of approximately 1,000 men and women aged 70 to 96 years old reported that those who drank two or more cups of green tea per day were less than half as likely to experience cognitive decline as those who drank three or fewer cups per week.

Surprisingly, there was no difference between those who drank two to three cups per day and those who drank four or more cups, suggesting that benefits may be seen with just two cups of green tea per day.

Furthermore, experiments using mice confirmed that the catechins contained in tea prevent brain atrophy and the decline in learning and memory abilities, and suppress DNA damage caused by oxidation in brain cells.

Additionally, research is being conducted in the United States on the relationship between catechins and Alzheimer's disease, and there are reports that catechins have been shown to be effective in mouse experiments.

In Japan, where the aging of society is accelerating, the increase in dementia cases has become a serious problem.

However, these research findings suggest a bright future for us.

Incorporating green tea into your daily life is not just a healthy habit; it may also be an important key to preventing brain aging and living a healthy life.

Anti-aging your brain with a daily green tea habit

The compounds in green tea do not stay in the body for long.

Therefore, you can effectively ingest the ingredients by drinking tea several times a day. Get into the habit of drinking tea frequently, such as in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

It is also a good idea to change the type of tea you drink depending on the time of day.

In the morning and during the day, choose high-quality sencha or regular sencha, which are rich in catechins.

Catechins are thought to improve blood flow to the brain and aid cognitive function, making them perfect for mornings when you want to wake up refreshed or for times during the day when you want to improve your focus.

Please enjoy by brewing for a long time at a high temperature of 85℃ or higher.

On the other hand, at night or when you want to relax, we recommend cold-brewed sencha tea, which is rich in theanine.

Theanine has a relaxing effect, improves the quality of sleep, and protects the health of the brain by relieving stress. Try tasting it before bed or after a bath.

In this way, by being mindful of the time of day and type of green tea you drink, you can maximize its anti-aging effects on the brain.

Incorporate a few simple changes into your daily habits to keep your brain young.

summary

What do you think? Green tea is an easily accessible beverage, and its greatest appeal is that it can be easily incorporated into your daily life.

Drinking green tea is not just refreshing, it's an investment in your future brain.

Be sure to incorporate green tea into your daily routine to keep your brain young.