Singapore: Drinking more tea can effectively prevent dementia in middle-aged and elderly people

After centuries of exchange, tea has become a world-class drink, especially in Asia, where tea culture has not only been completely preserved, but most people drink a cup of tea every day. In a long-term study, the National University of Singapore found that older people who maintain the habit of drinking tea seem to maintain better cognitive abilities and memory, achieving the effect of preventing dementia.

The latest news from Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao (Zao Bao) pointed out that the research team of the Department of Psychological Medicine of the National University of Singapore has been conducting a "Longitudinal Ageing Study" since 2003, tracking surveys on approximately 2,800 citizens aged 55 and above. One of the studies explored the relationship between tea drinking habits and the brain. The results of psychological tests showed that middle-aged and elderly people who maintained the habit of drinking tea had better cognitive ability, memory and information processing performance. Scholars said that this should be related to catechins and theanine in tea, and that it is effective regardless of the type of tea.

Dementia is a chronic and progressive neurological disease, like an "eraser in the brain", erasing traces of memory bit by bit. Most of the time, clues can be found from subtle symptoms, so prevention is far better than cure. According to Singapore's official 2010 National Health Survey, one in 16 people aged 65 and above suffer from dementia, and the number has doubled for people aged 75 and above, and the trend is only increasing.

In this research report, the cognitive ability of the elderly brain showed a clear positive correlation with the tea drinking habit, so the statement that "drinking tea protects the brain" has some basis. However, researchers also pointed out that there are many causes and prevention methods for dementia, and a multi-pronged approach should be adopted to prevent it, starting with diet, exercise, and regular check-ups, in order to truly prevent it.