Helps Improve Cognitive Function... Good for Those Who Easily Feel Fatigued
[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Jinsoo Lee] A study has found that a cup of black tea enhances intellectual ability and creative work performance.
Researchers from Peking University in China reported in a paper published in the January 2022 issue of the international journal specializing in sensory science and consumer behavior, Food Quality and Preference, that a cup of black tea improves so-called "convergent thinking."
Convergent thinking refers to analyzing and evaluating already generated ideas or information through various techniques to derive the most effective and desirable solution.
This research suggests that habitually drinking black tea can help not only health but also cognitive improvement.
Professor Wang Lei of the Department of Psychology at Peking University, who led the study, said, "Habitually drinking black tea can enhance intellectual ability to solve difficult tasks when faced with them." He explained, "Black tea also helps persistently perform tasks without showing signs of fatigue. Those who habitually drink black tea may have greater cognitive improvement compared to occasional drinkers."
The research team recruited 100 volunteers to participate in the experiment. They were then asked to solve word association quizzes or riddles of varying difficulty levels. The participants were given either a cup of water at 42 degrees Celsius or a cup of black tea.
As a result, the group that drank black tea performed better than the group that drank plain water in solving high-difficulty creative tasks. Moreover, the black tea group showed higher happiness and greater interest in the tasks compared to the water group. This finding is significant for people engaged in work requiring creativity or those who easily feel fatigued during work performance.
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