Maybe it was an embarrassing moment at the supermarket checkout. Or perhaps a mid-conversation memory glitch when talking with an old friend.
Heck, it could be ANY of the dozens of things you typically do effortlessly every day, from paying a bill to dealing with a customer service rep on the phone. But suddenly, you find yourself mentally tripped up.
Nothing can quite make you feel ancient (regardless of your actual age) than those momentary memory lapses.
When it happens, you don’t just feel old. You feel like a walking-talking stereotype of a doddering senior—suddenly unable to think quickly on your feet.
Well, my friend, it’s time to take those stereotypes and toss them where they belong—in the trash.
There’s a little memory trick you can try whenever you need it that may help you hit your 80s, 90s, and beyond without missing a beat.
Because new research reveals what could be one key to the cognitive puzzle.
A compound in TEA could make you sharper
Here’s a fun fact. As a group, people who drink green tea tend to have sharper minds, healthier aging, longer lives, and a lower risk of dementia.
Oh, and that’s not all, either. There’s also evidence green tea can help fight cancer and lend a hand in preventing its return, too.
Now, if you’re a regular Healthier Talk reader, you know I’m a die-hard coffee fanatic. (Coffee can pack some memory benefits too.) And that hasn’t changed. But the evidence is undeniable. We should be making room for green tea in our beverage lineup too.
And we now have yet another reason to take a regular ride on the tea train. New research zeroes in on a single amino acid found in green tea and, in lesser amounts, in other teas.
It turns out this nutrient doesn’t just have long-haul benefits. It appears l-theanine may also be able to deliver a short-term memory boost right when you need it most.
You can think of it as your trivia night secret weapon.
Just one dose of l-theanine led to major results on critical measures of memory and cognition in seniors who were suffering from self-reported cognitive problems. In other words, folks who were having their own embarrassing moments at the checkout line or on the phone.
Maximize short-term memory with green tea
Some volunteers were given l-theanine, some got a placebo, and they were all given a standard cognitive test.
The seniors given the supplement had:
- FASTER reaction times
- BETTER accuracy
- MORE attention
- IMPROVED executive function
The study found no significant extra benefits to taking l-theanine daily for 12 weeks. But that doesn’t surprise me too much.
L-theanine is better known for restoring calm and easing anxiety when it’s taken on its own. For my money, it’s better than Xanax and certainly a heck of a lot safer. (Your mileage may vary.)
And right now, in the middle of yet another round of pandemic anxiety, this natural calm-inducer could really hit the spot for some folks.
It appears the REAL memory protection kicks in when l-theanine is combined with other compounds in green tea, including epigallocatechin-3-gallate (aka EGCG) and even the caffeine itself.
So if you’re looking to maximize memory protection, look for a full green tea extract. Or simply drink several mugs of green tea a day if you enjoy the taste.
And maybe consider pouring yourself an extra cup before you head to the store, pay your bills, or do anything that might require a little boost of brainpower. Make it matcha for up to five times more l-theanine in a mug.
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