Drink Your Catechins: Green Tea and Other Ingredients Show Positive Effects on Memory

Diets rich in catechins — a type of flavonoid found at high concentrations in green tea — have been shown to improve brain function and memory. Research, for instance, has suggested that green tea extract can increase working-memory areas of the brain that correlated with improved performance on memory tasks.

Studies have also found evidence that green tea influences mood (e.g. reduction of stress), cognition (e.g. benefits in memory and attention) and brain function (e.g. activation of working memory seen in functional MRI).

Pharmacists who field questions from customers looking for a cognitive boost may want to consider suggesting they partake in regular consumption of this bracing beverage. If green tea is not to one’s liking, catechins also are found in many fruits and vegetables, such as apples, grapes, blackberries, dark chocolate, cherries, red wine, and fava beans.