Drinking Tea May Help Focus, Ease Anxiety

Drinking tea may not only be a pleasurable action, it may be good for your health. According to a PRN Press release new findings show that tea impacts brain waves in a favorable way. Other benefits of drinking tea may be weight loss and maintenance, the ability to pay attention and the relief of anxiety. There are also findings suggesting that tea may aide in lowering the risk of certain heart disease and possibly some cancers and diabetes.

Scientists from around the world convened today in Washington D,C. for the 4th International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health. They will review the latest findings on the potential benefits of drinking tea. New studies are contributing to the knowledge that there is more to tea than simply drinking pleasure. There is also proof that tea may potentially lower risks for several chronic diseases. The symposium will show that there is much more to tea than we have known in the past. Drinking tea is correlated with the lowering of the incidence of dementia, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's Disease. It has been shown that these diseases in Asians in significantly lower than in Europeans and Americans. Asians are known to consume very high amounts of tea in their daily diet.

The results of several ongoing human study trials are to be presented by John Foxe, PhD. Professor of Neuroscience, Biology and Psychology at the University at the City college of the City of New York has found that theanine from tea actively alters the attention networks of the brain. Theanine is an amino acid present almost exclusively in the tea plant.After drinking tea, theanine which is present in Green, Black and Oolong tea varieties is known to be absorbed by the small intestine and crosses the blood-brain barrier where it affects the brain's neuro-transmitters and raises alpha brain wave activity. This alpha brain wave activity is known to induce a calm more relaxed demeanor yet a more alert state of mind.

Some individuals were given a solution containing either 250 milligrams of theanine or a placebo, then had their brain activity monitored. The subjects were then asked to complete a variety of attention related computerized tasks. The results showed that the volunteers who received the theanine showed significant improvements in tests and their attention function was enhanced.

New research also shows that the effects of the theanine in combination with the effects from caffeine are synergistic. One cup of tea normally contains between 20-25 mgs. of theanine. Tea is also found to hep maintain a healthy body weight and maintain brain health. Diets rich in fruits, vegetables and tea may support the body in fighting the neurological decline that sometimes seems to come with age.

Polyphenel which is also found in tea in abundance may possibly help to prevent brain cells from dying and may actually rescue neurons after they are damaged. The list of benefits from drinking tea continue to grow and there have been no known reasons not to drink the beverage.

The symposium was sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the American College of Nutrition, the American Medical Woman's Association, The Linus Pauling Institute and the Tea Council of The United States.

Sources used in this article are as follows: http://prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-18-2007/0004665131&EDATE=