British researchers have determined regular tea-drinking can improve a person's memory, and may offer clues to fighting Alzheimer's disease.

For their experiment, the research team from Newcastle University's Medicinal Plant Research Center, investigated the properties of coffee and both green and black tea in a series of experiments.

They found that both green and black tea inhibited the activity of enzymes associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease, but coffee had no significant effect.

Both teas inhibited the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which breaks down the chemical neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, which is very low in Alzheimer's victims.

Green tea went a step further in that it obstructed the activity of beta-secretase, which plays a role in the production of protein deposits in the brain which are associated with Alzheimer's disease. Scientists also found it continued to have its inhibitive effect for a week, whereas black tea's enzyme-inhibiting properties lasted for only one day.

From Healthy.net