4 Brain Benefits of Tea Brew a batch to strengthen your mental muscles BY MIKE ROUSSELL, PH.D. Tea has a rep for being one of the healthiest drinks in the world, thanks to its abundance of disease-fighting antioxidants. Yet when you need a quick pick-me-up, the herbal brew often takes a backseat to coffee. Plenty of research shows that tea has its own major mental benefits, so fill up your mug to give your brain a boost. 1. Be More Creative Hit a cognitive roadblock? Load up on tea for a jolt of inspiration. A new study in Motivation and Emotion shows that theanine, a unique amino acid found in tea, may aid in creative problem-solving. 2. Juggle More Duties With a million items on your to-do list but not enough time to tackle each one, tea can help can you multitask. Recent research from the Netherlands shows that theanine can stimulate alpha waves in your brain associated with relaxation, while caffeine kindles alertness and attention. That combination can help you perform better when switching from one job to the next. 3. Sustain Your Focus Whether you’re at a daylong conference or attempting to cram a semester of learning into one weekend, being able to stay focused for extended periods of time is crucial—but can be tough when tiredness sets in. The same winning combo of theanine and caffeine can fight fatigue and keep your concentration intact, according to research in the Journal of Neuropharmacology. 4. Stay Alert on the Job Boil a bag to stay on the ball. Caffeine found naturally in the matrix of tea works better at increasing alertness and reaction time than the caffeine in water, says a study in Psycopharmology.
Posted on: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 18:37:51 +0000
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