Green tea and the risk of depression
Researchers from Japan studied the relationship between drinking green tea and depression in elderly Japanese adults.
First, the details.
- Green tea consumption was surveyed in 1058 community-dwelling elderly Japanese individuals.
- Depression symptoms were evaluated using the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale.
- Participants who were consuming antidepressants were considered to have depressive symptoms.
And, the results.
- After adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of having mild and severe depressive symptoms was greater as green tea consumption increased (2 to 3 cups and 4 or more cups per day) compared with green tea consumption of not more than 1 cup/day.
- Similar relations were also observed in those with severe depressive symptoms.
The bottom line?
The authors concluded, “A more frequent consumption of green tea was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in the community-dwelling older population.â€
Hmmm. Side effects from drinking green tea? Here’s a website with a long list of side effects.
11/20/09 19:37 JR