by Justin Jackson , Medical Xpress

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Research led by the Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences has reported a significant connection between higher green tea consumption and fewer cerebral white matter lesions in older adults without dementia. Findings suggest that drinking three or more glasses of green tea daily may help protect brain health, while coffee consumption showed no significant effect.

Green tea and coffee are both known for their neuroprotective compounds and are the most widely consumed beverages globally after water. Prior research suggests that tea and coffee intake is linked to cognitive benefits, yet few studies have examined their direct association with brain structural changes in older adults.

Cerebral white matter lesions, often indicative of small vessel disease, have been associated with cognitive decline, vascular dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of green tea and coffee consumption on white matter lesion volume, hippocampal volume, and total brain volume using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data.

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 collection occurred between 2016 and 2018, including dietary assessments, MRI scans, and cognitive evaluations of 8,766 participants aged 65 and older. A Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to measure daily green tea and coffee intake, categorized into four levels: 0–200 ml, 201–400 ml, 401–600 ml, and ≥601 ml.

Brain MRI scans provided data on the volume of white matter lesions (WML), hippocampal volume (HV), and total brain volume (TBV). Advanced statistical models were applied to adjust for confounding factors, including demographics, health conditions, lifestyle habits, and genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease.

The analysis excluded participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia, or incomplete data, narrowing the final cohort to 8,766 individuals.

After adjusting for confounding factors, higher green tea consumption was significantly associated with lower WML volumes. Participants consuming 600 ml of green tea daily had WML volumes that were 3% lower than those consuming 200 ml or less, and those consuming 1,500 ml daily had WML volumes that were 6% lower than those in the reference group.

No significant associations were observed between green tea intake and hippocampal or total brain volumes. Coffee consumption did not significantly affect WML volume, HV, or TBV.

The study also examined subgroups based on depression status and the presence of the ApoE ε4 allele. Significant reductions in WML volumes with increased green tea consumption were observed only in individuals without depression or the ApoE ε4 allele.

Findings suggest that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of green tea catechins, such as epigallocatechin gallate, may mitigate vascular damage and promote brain health, though specific components were not experimentally validated as causal.

More information: Shutaro Shibata et al, Green tea consumption and cerebral white matter lesions in community-dwelling older adults without dementia, npj Science of Food (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41538-024-00364-w

© 2025 Science X Network

---

Explore further

Your lifestyle may be aging your brain faster than you think