Green Tea Eases Depression

Increasing green tea consumption may help reduce symptoms of depression in the elderly, according to recent Japanese research from Tohoku University Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering. The study looked at 1,058 men and women above the age of 70, and found that people who drank four or more cups of green tea each day were 44 percent less likely to exhibit depression symptoms compared to those who drank one or fewer cups each day. Theanine, an amino acid present in green tea, may be the reason for this popular beverage’s possible mental-health benefits. The study is published in the most recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.