Does Green Tea Protect Your Brain From Aging?

If you're looking to keep your brain sharp and healthy as you age, you already know the importance of regular exercise, quality sleep, and staying mentally active. But new research highlights another simple addition to your routine: green tea.

Here’s what the study revealed:

• Green tea may reduce cerebral white matter lesions — These "silent" brain changes don’t often show immediate symptoms, but over time, they can contribute to cognitive decline, balance issues, and other neurological challenges.

• In a study of over 8,500 adults aged 60+, those who drank about 2.5 cups of green tea daily (20 ounces) had 3% fewer white matter lesions than participants who consumed less than 7 ounces per day.

• Benefits seemed to scale up to 50 ounces of green tea daily, but even moderate consumption showed measurable advantages.

While coffee is often touted for its brain benefits, this study found no similar impact from coffee on white matter lesions, suggesting that green tea’s anti-inflammatory properties and its ability to improve blood vessel health could play a unique role in brain protection.

White matter changes are a natural part of aging, but the research suggests that regularly drinking green tea may help slow their progression, providing an easy, natural way to support cognitive health.

So, alongside your current brain-health habits, it might be time to brew a cup of green tea for an extra boost!