With its fascinating scent, jasmine tea is a joy for the palate and from today we know that it is also a joy for the mind and the microbiota. In fact, this tea protects the intestinal microbiota and, thanks to the connection between the gut and the brain, fights depression and stress and improves mood! This is what emerges from a very recent scientific research soon to be published in the journal Nutrients (Zhang et al, Nutrients, 2022).
The link between the gut, brain and depression
Nowadays, depression is unfortunately a very widespread condition all over the world, with symptoms such as sadness, a slowdown in thinking, lack of interest and physical problems. Depression is connected to an alteration of neurotransmitters, in particular 5-HT and BDNF. Therefore, it is believed that any treatment aimed at increasing the amount of these neurotransmitters can help improve symptoms of depression. The intestinal microbiota plays an essential role in the health of the body and mind and, through what experts call the gut brain axis, can act on mood by modulating neurotransmitters.
Jasmine tea brings calm and serenity
Jasmine tea is obtained from the union of green tea and jasmine flowers and is a very popular drink thanks to its enveloping aroma. Jasmine tea is characterized by a soothing action, probably capable of acting on the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of the autonomic nervous system that induces feelings of calm and relaxation. However, to date, there was no scientific evidence of the calming properties of jasmine tea, nor was there an explanation for these effects.
Jasmine tea fights depression, the experiment
To fill this gap, the researchers of the study we are talking about today conducted research in the laboratory on a population of mice subjected to a stressful condition aimed at inducing behaviors similar to depression. Part of the mice were given jasmine tea. Throughout the experiment, mice were subjected to tests to evaluate the action of jasmine tea on behavior, microbiota and neurotransmitter levels. Well, what came out was that jasmine tea was able to reduce the symptoms of depression. The explanation for this is that jasmine tea has been shown to be beneficial on the gut microbiota, since it has made the bacterial population more diverse by mirroring the microbiota found in a healthy, depression-free body. This protective action of jasmine tea on the microbiota resulted in an increase in 5-HT and BDNF neurotransmitters.
