True, the researchers were also interested in the effects of traditional Japanese roasted green tea called houjicha.
Previous studies have noted cognitive benefits of green tea consumption, but interest has often focused on long-term effects, individual compounds in tea, or high consumption.
However, a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports looked at the potential acute effects of consuming roasted green tea and plain green tea on mental performance.
Research results show that even small daily doses of green tea can significantly improve task performance and mental well-being.
The benefits of tea for performance
This study involved 20 healthy Japanese adult men with an average age of 23 years. They were tasked with performing 5-minute arithmetic tasks several times over a period of one month. The researchers tested whether participants’ performance differed depending on whether they drank warm water or tea beforehand.
They measured a total of 11 different physiological responses and additionally asked participants to rate their well-being – fatigue, stress, mental workload and work flow.
After consuming the tea, participants had significantly reduced tissue blood volume, tissue blood flow, and near-infrared spectroscopy responses during the tasks.
These results suggest that drinking green tea or roasted green tea may have helped moderate the participants’ physiological responses to stress.
The aromatic compounds found in green tea, which have a relaxing effect, appeared to be important to the results of the study.
“After careful examination of various indicators, we found that the aromatic stimulation of Japanese tea beverages can produce positive effects, improve the performance of mental tasks, promote refreshment and reduce feelings of fatigue,” wrote the authors of the study.
Across all sessions, task performance was significantly better when drinking tea than water.
However, only roasted green tea was found to have anti-fatigue properties, even though it contained less caffeine than regular green tea.
Tea also had a positive effect on reaction speed and the quality of task performance.
These benefits were seen in small amounts of tea and over a short period of time, which is consistent with normal daily tea consumption patterns.
What people can tea harm?
“Incorporating green tea and roasted green tea into your daily routine can have health benefits, but there are some considerations,” said Alyssa Simpson, a registered dietitian who was not involved in the study.
She advised trying different brands and brewing methods, and emphasized that drinking no more than a few cups of tea a day should be avoided to avoid any negative effects.
People taking medication, especially for high blood pressure or blood thinners, should be cautious about possible interactions.
Individuals with a history of kidney stones should also not overdo it because of the amount of oxalates in green tea, the specialist warned.
Green tea can be a good alternative to coffee or black tea if a person wants to focus better but consume less caffeine.
According to experts, green tea contains various flavonoids that are linked to better brain health. Therefore, it is beneficial to include green tea in your routine.
Based on information from Medical News Today.
