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Tea and cognitive health in late life: Current evidence and future directions

  • JNHA: Clinical Neurosciences
  • Published:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

This review summarizes the literature on the association between tea consumption and cognitive health in late life. Population-based studies reviewed in this article suggest that tea drinking has beneficial effects on cognitive function of elderly persons. However, a cause-effect relationship between tea consumption and cognitive decline and dementia could not be drawn given inconsistent findings from only two longitudinal cohort studies. The neuroprotective effects of tea consumption could be due to catechins, L-theanine and other compounds in tea leaves. More longitudinal observational study is needed. Information on life-time tea consumption and blood concentrations of catechins and L-theanine could be collected in future studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Shengli Hospital of Shengli Oilfield, Shandong, Dongying, China

    J. Song

  2. Imaging Center, Shengli Hospital of Shengli Oilfield, Shandong, Dongying, China

    H. Xu

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    F. Liu

  4. Department of Psychological Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Lei Feng

  5. Department of Psychological Medicine, National University of Singapore, NUHS Tower Block, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore

    Lei Feng

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  1. J. Song
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  2. H. Xu
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  3. F. Liu
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  4. Lei Feng
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Correspondence to Lei Feng.

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Song, J., Xu, H., Liu, F. et al. Tea and cognitive health in late life: Current evidence and future directions. J Nutr Health Aging 16, 31–34 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-011-0139-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-011-0139-9

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