China study shows how drinking tea may lower the risk of depression in older adults
Drinking tea, a common practice among many Asians, may lower the risk of depression especially among seniors. Data collection from the 2005-2014 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) showed that “different types of tea, such as green tea, black tea, and oolong tea worked for alleviating depressive symptoms among older adults” – this new analysis by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Fudan University in Shanghai can more accurately track an individual’s tea-drinking history and accords daily tea drinkers aged 60 and over with significantly better mental health.
In nearly 13,000 individuals who took part in the CLHLS, findings suggested that the benefits of tea drinking against depression were strongest for males aged 65 to 79 years. Notably, these urbanites exhibited higher cognitive/physical function and were also educated, married, financially comfortable, and socially engaged. On the other hand, they were even more likely to be alcoholics and smokers.
An earlier paper by NUS found that tea has properties that help brain areas maintain healthy cognitive function. Its ingredients — catechin, L-theanine, and caffeine — can apparently produce positive effects on mood, cognitive ability, cardiovascular health, cancer prevention, and mortality.
Study lead, NUS Associate Professor Feng Qiushi said, “It is likely that the benefit of tea drinking is more evident in early stages of health deterioration.” He still hopes to understand more about what tea can do. Qiushi previously published the results of the effect of tea drinking on Singaporeans, another population which always consumes it, finding a similar link to low rates of depression; the new CLHLS study supports this earlier work.
