Fresh Clips: Sleep Deprived? Stay Sharp with Green Tea

October/November 2008
By Vicki Mattern 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

If you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)—a fairly common yet serious condition that disrupts sleep and breathing—try drinking more green tea. While drinking tea will not necessarily improve your sleep, green tea’s antioxidant compounds could help counter the learning and memory problems associated with OSA, according to a recently published study.

RELATED CONTENT

Researchers intermittently deprived 106 rats of oxygen to mimic OSA in humans, then gave half the rats water laced with green tea polyphenols and the other half plain water. The rats that drank the green tea-treated water performed significantly better in a maze than the rats that consumed plain water.

According to David Gozal, M.D., the study’s lead author and director of Kosair Children’s Hospital Research Institute at the University of Louisville, green tea polyphenols “may represent a potential interventional strategy for patients” with sleep-disordered breathing.

“A growing body of evidence suggests that the adverse neurobehavioral consequences [of OSA] … stem, at least in part, from oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling cascades,” Gozal says.

Green tea polyphenols are highly beneficial antioxidants. See “Leaves of Fortune in Your Tea Cup” on Page 46.

For more information, see American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 177:1135-1141, 2008.

Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

Add Your Comment

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Herb Companion readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Herb Companion?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Pay Now & Save 50% off the Cover Price
First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Subscribe to The Herb Companion

Your guide to the many uses and even more pleasures of nature's most helpful plants!

The Herb Companion is the smart and easy complement to your own healthy, vibrant lifestyle! In every issue you'll find information on using herbs to:

  • Transform simple dishes into spectacular meals
  • Make gardens as useful as they are beautiful
  • Replace harsh chemicals with natural alternatives
  • Help find fulfillment, balance and good health
  • And much more!

Yes, send me a one-year subscription (6 issues) to The Herb Companion. I'll pay just $19.95.

Save Even More Money By Paying NOW!

Pay now with a credit card and take advantage of our Earth-friendly automatic renewal savings plan. You save an additional $5.00 and get 6 issues of The Herb Companion for only $14.95 (USA only).