Consuming green tea is associated with a reduced occurrence of white matter lesions in the brains of elderly individuals.

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A study conducted by the Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences has revealed a noteworthy association between increased green tea intake and a reduction in cerebral white matter lesions among older individuals who do not have dementia. The results indicate that consuming three or more cups of green tea each day could be beneficial for maintaining brain health, whereas coffee consumption did not demonstrate a significant impact.

Green tea and coffee are recognized for their neuroprotective properties and rank as the second and third most popular beverages worldwide, following water. Previous studies have indicated a connection between the consumption of tea and coffee and cognitive advantages. However, there is a lack of research focusing specifically on their direct impact on structural changes in the brains of older adults.

Cerebral white matter lesions, which frequently signal small vessel disease, have been linked to cognitive deterioration, vascular dementia, and Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study sought to assess how the intake of green tea and coffee influences the volume of white matter lesions, hippocampal size, and overall brain volume, utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data for analysis.

The study, "Green tea consumption and cerebral white matter lesions in community-dwelling older adults without dementia," published in npj Science of Food, was conducted as part of the Japan Prospective Studies Collaboration for Aging and Dementia, a large-scale, multisite observational study involving eight research centers in Japan.

Data was gathered from 2016 to 2018, involving dietary evaluations, MRI imaging, and cognitive assessments of 8,766 individuals aged 65 and above. To assess daily consumption of green tea and coffee, a Food Frequency Questionnaire was employed, classifying intake into four categories: 0–200 ml, 2