News & Publications

• Regular green tea consumption correlates with fewer cerebral white matter lesions, potentially reducing the risk of stroke, dementia, and disability. www.nature.com
  Brain Aging Green Tea Dementia Polyphenol

  About half of your brain is white matter—a network of nerve fibers that allow for the exchange of information and communication within the brain. Aging and lifestyle factors can damage the white matter, increasing the risk of stroke, dementia, and disability. However, a recent study found that the brains of regular green tea drinkers have fewer white matter lesions than non-drinkers.

  The study included nearly 8,800 older adults living in Japan. Participants provided information about their green tea and coffee consumption and underwent magnetic resonance imaging to assess their brain health and volume.

  They found that higher green tea consumption correlated with fewer cerebral white matter lesions but had little effect on brain volumes, even after accounting for demographic, lifestyle, and health factors. People who drank about three cups (~20 ounces) of green tea daily had 3% less white matter damage in their brains than those who drank just one cup (~7 ounces). Those who drank around seven to eight glasses (~50 ounces) daily had 6% less damage. Coffee consumption did not affect white matter or brain volume, suggesting that green tea protects against white matter damage.

  Green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a polyphenolic compound that exerts robust antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. Evidence suggests that EGCG reduces the buildup of amyloid beta and tau—two proteins involved in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease. Learn more about EGCG and other polyphenols in our overview article.

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• A daily cup of coffee could reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes by half. academic.oup.com
  Sleep Heart Disease Diabetes Biomarkers Coffee Green Tea Caffeine Stroke Cardiovascular

  Drinking your daily cup of coffee or tea might do more than give you a boost—it could lower your risk of developing multiple serious cardiometabolic conditions simultaneously, like diabetes, heart disease, or stroke. A recent study found that moderate coffee or caffeine consumption may cut your risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity by as much as 50%.

  Researchers analyzed data from more than 172,000 participants enrolled in the UK Biobank who had no cardiometabolic diseases at the start. Participants reported their coffee, tea, and caffeine consumption; about half provided blood samples for metabolic marker analysis.

  They found that people who drank about three cups of coffee daily (or consumed 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine daily) were 40% to 50% less likely to develop multiple cardiometabolic diseases than those who drank little or no caffeine. They also discovered that specific blood markers, such as certain lipid components, were linked to coffee and caffeine consumption and a lower risk of cardiometabolic conditions.

  These findings suggest that moderate coffee or caffeine intake reduces the risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases but also slows their progression if they occur. Other evidence points to the many health benefits associated with coffee and caffeine, but it’s crucial to remember their effects on sleep. Learn more in this Aliquot featuring Drs. Guido Kroemer, Satchin Panda, Elissa Epel, Matthew Walker, and Rhonda Patrick

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• Drinking tea may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death. journals.sagepub.com
  Green Tea Cardiovascular

  Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer worldwide, claiming the lives of nearly 18 million people each year. Health experts estimate that more than 75 percent of all cardiovascular diseases are preventable through healthy lifestyle habits. Findings from a 2020 study suggest that drinking tea is a healthy lifestyle habit that reduces the risk of cardiovascular-related disease and death and all causes of premature death.

  Teas – black, green, or white – are among the most popular beverages in the world. Their consumption is linked to a wide range of health benefits, including lower blood pressure, improved blood sugar regulation, and greater weight loss in people with obesity.

  The researchers drew on data collected during the China-PAR project, an ongoing study of cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk among three cohorts of adults living in China. They used data from more than 100,000 participants to investigate links between tea consumption and cardiovascular-related disease and death, as well as all causes of premature death. Their analysis accounted for a wide range of demographic and lifestyle habits, including age, sex, family history, education, smoking, and dietary patterns, among others.

  They found that roughly one-third of the participants were regular tea drinkers, consuming three or more tea drinks per week. Regular tea drinkers were 22 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 15 percent less likely to die from all causes of premature death. Drinking tea also appeared to extend healthspan – the number of years lived disease-free. Regular tea drinkers lived 1.41 years longer free of cardiovascular disease and had 1.26 years longer life expectancy at the index age of 50 years compared to non-drinkers.

  These findings suggest that regular tea consumption reduces the risk of cardiovascular-related disease and death and all causes of premature death. Tea drinking may also extend the number of years a person lives disease-free.

  Teas are rich in polyphenols – a broad class of bioactive plant-based compounds that confer beneficial properties to humans. Learn more about polyphenols in our overview article.

  • Link to study abstract.
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• Drinking oolong tea promotes fat burning. www.eurekalert.org
  Obesity Green Tea Polyphenol

  Tea from the leaves of the Camelia sinensis plant is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide. Its consumption is associated with a variety of beneficial health effects. Findings from a recent study suggest that oolong tea consumption promotes weight loss.

  Many types of tea from Camelia sinensis exist, but they are generally classified as green, oolong, or black. The differences in the three types arise during processing, where they undergo various degrees of oxidation. Green tea is unoxidized; oolong tea is partially oxidized; and black tea is fully oxidized. Tea contains several bioactive compounds, including catechins and caffeine. Catechins are polyphenolic compounds that exert antioxidant properties. Caffeine is a potent stimulant.

  The intervention study involved 12 healthy non-obese men between the ages of 20 and 56 years. The participants consumed one of three beverages at breakfast and lunch for three 14-day sessions: oolong tea containing 51.8 milligrams of caffeine and 48.5 milligrams of catechins; a beverage containing 51.8 milligrams of caffeine; or a placebo beverage. A washout period of about two weeks separated each session. The men drank no other beverages containing caffeine or alcohol during the study period. They underwent 24-hour indirect calorimetry to monitor their metabolism and polysomnographic sleep recording to gauge their sleep quality.

  The authors of the study found that fat oxidation increased by roughly 20 percent when the participants drank the oolong tea or pure caffeine beverage, but not when they drank the placebo beverage. The effects of consuming oolong tea continued to a greater degree while the participants were asleep. Neither of the caffeine-containing beverages promoted an increase in the men’s energy expenditure, and none of the men exhibited alterations in sleep quality, suggesting that they developed a tolerance to the stimulatory effects of caffeine.

  These findings suggest that oolong tea stimulates fat oxidation, especially during the overnight fast.

  • Link to full study.
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