According to an article by Laurie Barclay, MD, entitled Green Tea Drinking in Elderly Linked to Lower Risk for Depression, more frequent consumption of green tea is associated with a lower risk of depression in older adults. These findings are based on a cross-sectional study published in the December 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
According to researchers, green tea has many benefits including anti-stress response and anti-inflammatory effects. The study involved 1058 community-dwelling Japanese people aged 70 or older. A questionnaire was used to determine green tea intake and the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale was used to evaluate depressive symptoms.
After reading the article thoroughly, I am convinced that more research needs to be done before any conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. The authors of the study concur, stating that a prospective study or randomized trials should be done to clarify causality. I would say this study is a good start on which to design further studies to determine if green tea can actually lower the depression risk for the elderly.
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