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Summary Green tea has chemical properties that improve memory and spatial learning, says new study.
Green tea is a popular beverage across the world, said Yun Bai, professor from the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China. There has been plenty of scientific attention on its use in helping prevent cardiovascular diseases, but now there is emerging evidence that its chemical properties may impact cellular mechanisms in the brain.Yuns team focused on the organic chemical EGCG, (epigallocatechin-3 gallate) a key property of green tea. While EGCG is a known antioxidant, the team believed it can also have a beneficial effect against age-related degenerative diseases, the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research reports.We proposed that EGCG can improve cognitive function by impacting the generation of neuron cells, a process known as neurogenesis, said Yun. We focused our research on the hippocampus, the part of the brain which processes information from short-term to long-term memory.
