Older adults without dementia who regulalry drink green tea tend to have fewer cerebral white matter lesions compared to those consuming other beverages, latest research has suggested.

Scientists from Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences in Japan have found that drinking three or more mugs of green tea per day is associated with good brain health.

Meanwhile, a high intake of coffee was not shown to protect older adults from experiencing poor brain health, the study has revealed.

Known for their neuroprotective compounds, green tea and coffee are the most widely consumed drinks around the world after water.

Prior research has identified that tea and coffee is associated with good cognition. In addition, previous studies have shown that cerebral white matter lesions have been linked with vascular dementia, cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

By using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, the scientists examined the effect of green tea and coffee consumption on white matter lesion volume, hippocampal volume, and total brain volume.

They looked at 8,766 participants aged 65 and older, all of whom completed dietary assessments and cognitive tests during the study.

To measure daily green tea and coffee intake, participants were split into four groups: 0–200 ml, 201–400 ml, 401–600 ml, and ≥601 ml.

The white matter lesion volumes of the participants in the 600 ml group were 3% lower than those in the 200 ml or less group, the findings have revealed.

Read the study in the journal npj Science of Food.