Green Tea Compounds May Boost Short-Term Memory

Mounting evidence suggests a variety of health effects of green tea, from cardiovascular to cognitive. Kazuki Ide, from the University of Shizuoka (Japan), and colleagues enrolled 12 elderly nursing home residents with cognitive dysfunction, average age 88 years, in a study in which each subject consumed green tea powder 2 g/day for 3 months.  The team observed that after three months of green tea consumption, the participants’ MMSE-J scores were significantly improved: before, 15.3 ± 7.7; after, 17.0 ± 8.2.  The study authors submit that: “This result suggests that green tea consumption may be effective in improving cognitive function or reducing the progression of cognitive dysfunction.”