Consumption of tea is as effective on the brain as the drugs prescribed for Alzheimer's disease. Researchers from the Newcastle University's Medicinal Plant Research Centre investigated the properties of green and black tea, as well as coffee, in a series of laboratory experiments. The results showed that both types of tea inhibited the activity of enzymes associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. Coffee, however, had no significant effect. The teas inhibited the activity of acetylcholinesterase, the same mechanism of action used by drugs such as Rivastigmine and Donepezil hydrochloride. The teas also hindered the activity of the butyrylcholinesterase, which has been found in senile plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. Green tea obstructed the activity of beta-secretase, which also plays a role in the production of senile plaques. Tea could be used to treat or slow down the development of Alzheimer's, for which there is no cure. However, there is no published evidence showing that tea lowers the occurrence rate of Alzheimer's disease in tea-loving countries such as Britain, China and Japan. Research is under progress to find out which components of green tea inhibits the activity of the three enzymes.
Phytotherapy Research,
October 2004