Let’s drink to better brain health

Let’s drink to better brain health

By Editorial Staff
ToYourHealth.com

The research supporting the health and wellness benefits of both tea and coffee continues to amaze. How about brain health? Yes, both popular beverages may protect your brain against disease. Let’s look at what recent research says.

For example, in a study published in Cells, researchers discovered that certain components found in coffee (caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid) may help prevent neurodegeneration, which could reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Specifically, the two components may inhibit the influence of rotenone, a toxin that “induces [Parkinson’s]-like pathology.” In a second study published in Aging, habitual tea drinking helped preserve efficient structural organization in the brain, which researchers suggest could protect against cognitive decline associated with aging. As you might imagine, once brain structure starts to erode, ideal brain function goes with it.

Anyone who’s experiencing the effects of “growing old” will tell you that beyond the decline in physical function, it’s the threat – or current reality – of declining brain function that’s the most troublesome. But as these studies suggest, it doesn’t have to be that way. If nothing else, you can increase your chances of enjoying your Golden Years with a sharp, fully functioning brain courtesy of this simple tip: drink coffee and tea!