Japanese researchers said that the elderly who drink several cups of green tea a day are likely to have a lower incidence of depression, and this is likely due to the “feel-good” chemical found in this type of tea.
Numerous studies have linked drinking green tea with a reduction in psychological problems. Doctor Karijon Niu of the Graduate School of Tohoku University and his colleagues found that men and women aged 70 and over who drank four or more cups of green tea per day had a 44 percent reduced risk of depressive symptoms. .
Green tea is widely consumed in many Asian countries, including China and Japan.
The researchers conducted the study on 1058 relatively healthy elderly men and women. According to the study, published in the December issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 34 percent of men and 39 percent of women had symptoms of depression.
A total of 488 of the study participants said that they drink four cups of green tea or more per day, while 284 said that they drink between two to three cups of green tea, while the rest said that they drink one cup or less per day.
According to the researchers, the clear effect of drinking more green tea on relieving symptoms of depression did not fade after taking into account socioeconomic status, gender, diet, history of health problems, and use of antidepressants.
In contrast, there was no association between consumption of black tea, oolong tea, or coffee and reduced symptoms of depression.
Dr. Carrigon said the (amino acid theanine) found in green tea, which is believed to have a calming effect on the brain, may explain the “beneficial effects” found in the study.
“Nevertheless, more studies are needed to confirm whether more green tea drinking actually has antidepressant effects,” the researchers added.
