It's already well-established that tea can have benefits beyond fortune telling and hallucinating.For millennia, humans have been steeping dried herbs in boiling water in order to extract their physically and mentally rejuvenating properties, but now scientists are closer to understanding the mechanisms through which certain brews can affect mood and memory.
In a recent unpublished study, a team of psychologists from the Northumbria University in the UK found that particular teas impact different cognitive functions. Specifically, their research revealed that peppermint helped improve working memory and long-term memory, whereas chamomile significantly significantly slowed memory and attention speed.In order to yield these results, the Northumbria University team gathered a sample of 180 participants who were randomly administered either peppermint tea, chamomile tea, or hot water. Before consuming said liquids, the subjects were asked to fill out questionnaires asking about their mood. Twenty minutes later, they completed tests assessing memory and other cognitive functions, and filled out a subsequent questionnaire about mood."It's interesting to see the contrasting effects on mood and cognition of the two different herbal teas," lead author Dr Mark Moss said in a press release. "The enhancing and arousing effects of peppermint and the calming/sedative effects of chamomile observed in this study are in keeping with the claimed properties of these herbs and suggest beneficial effects can be drawn from their use."The results of this study are useful not only for psychologists trying to understand the psychoactive properties of tea, but also for the layperson looking for healthier kinds of uppers and downers.