Green Tea Boosts Brain Cell and improve Memory

Green tea that proves to be good beverage for heart has lot more to offer.  The researchers from the Third Military Medical University claim that the chemical properties present in drink affect the generation of brain cells, that is good for memory as well as spatial learning.

"Green tea is a popular beverage across the world," said Professor Yun Bai from the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China. "There has been plenty of scientific attention on its use in helping prevent cardiovascular diseases, but now there is emerging evidence that its chemical properties may impact cellular mechanisms in the brain."

Published in the Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, the study focuses on the organic chemical Epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG) that is a key property in the green tea. EGCG is an anti oxidant and can have a beneficial effect against age related degenerative diseases.

"We proposed that EGCG can improve cognitive function by impacting the generation of neuron cells, a process known as neurogenesis," said Bai. "We focused our research on the hippocampus, the part of the brain which processes information from short-term to long-term memory."

It was noticed that EGCG boost the production of neural progenitor cells, which have the capacity to  adapt, or differentiate, into various types of cells. Laboratory mice was used to discover if this increased cell production gave an advantage to memory or spatial learning.

"We ran tests on two groups of mice, one which had imbibed EGCG and a control group," said Bai. "First the mice were trained for three days to find a visible platform in their maze. Then they were trained for seven days to find a hidden platform."

The team noticed how the EGCG treated mice required less time to find the hidden platform. They concluded that EGCG enhances learning and memory by improving object recognition and spatial memory.

"We have shown that the organic chemical EGCG acts directly to increase the production of neural progenitor cells, both in glass tests and in mice," concluded Bai. "This helps us to understand the potential for EGCG, and green tea which contains it, to help combat degenerative diseases and memory loss."