Research by the medicinal plant research centre at University of Newcastle upon Tyne, northeast England, published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that green and black tea inhibit the activity of certain brain enzymes that bring on Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer's is a form of generative dementia that affects an estimated 10 million people worldwide.
According to the journal, tea inhibits the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which breaks down the chemical messenger or neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Alzheimer's is characterised by a drop in acetylcholine. Green tea and black tea also hindered the activity of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase, seen in protein deposits found on the brains of patients with Alzheimer's. More research is needed, though, to find out how the chemistry of the body affects the activity of the tea enzymes.Courtesy : CoABC Science Online
