The best teas for memory boost include green tea, gingko biloba tea, matcha tea, ginseng tea, and rosemary tea.

A good memory is important. Whether you are a student who is studying for an exam or an adult who wants to keep his brain healthy and sharp. With age and due to bad lifestyle choices, your memory can significantly decline. The good news is there are natural ways we can improve our memory. One way to improve your memory is by drinking tea, but not just any tea. Here is our guide to the best teas to drink when you want to boost your memory.

Here are 12 teas that may boost your memory:

1. Green tea

Green tea is one of the best teas to boost your memory. It also has tons of other health benefits as well. Besides boosting your memory, it could also help with weight loss and increase your energy levels. Green tea is full of antioxidants, these can help prevent oxidative stress in the body and preserve the health of your cells.

• A study published in Nature analysed what happens in the brain of volunteers after giving them green tea supplements. MRI of the volunteers’ brains was recorded, while they were performing certain tasks. According to the results, green tea could increase the activity in an area of the brain involved in the processing of working memory. [1]

• According to a scientific review, the beneficial effects of green tea are not the result of just one single component of the drink. Instead, the combination of the different ingredients found in green tea work together. Separately, these ingredients seem to be less effective. [2]

2. Rosemary tea

Rosemary is not only a delicious herb, but it is also a real booster for your brain. It has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine. Rosemary can improve your mental abilities and make your brain work more efficiently. In addition to that, rosemary has a calming effect on your nerves and could stimulate circulation.

• Rosemary is abundant in carnosic acid, which is a very strong antioxidant. [3] According to research, the carnosic acid found in rosemary could protect certain brain cells from cell death. [4] Next to that, research has shown that carnosic acid also has antiviral properties. Research has shown that it can block the replication of certain viruses. [5]

• Rosemary also contains rosmarinic acid, which can also protect brain cells, according to research. [6]

3. Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo Biloba is famous for its positive effects on brain function and improvement of blood circulation. Some claim it is even useful in the treatment of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. [7] There are also many dietary supplements on the market that contain Ginkgo Biloba leaf extract. Before you decide to take Ginkgo Biloba though, you should first discuss it with your doctor, especially if you have low blood pressure or are taking medications.

4. Ginger tea

Ginger has been used in traditional Asian medicine for thousands of years. Not only does it have numerous health benefits, ginger can also boost your memory and brain function. A study on 60 healthy adult women showed that a daily intake of ginger extract for 2 months can enhance attention and working memory. [8]

• Various animal studies have shown that ginger could be effective against memory deficits and cognitive impairment. [9] [10] [11]

• A recent scientific review explored the possibility to use ginger in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. [12] According to the review, even though ginger can not cure advanced dementia, there is strong evidence it might be helpful in preventing it.

• According to a recent scientific publication, ginger might even be useful in the treatment of COVID-19. But this is very new territory and we will need more studies to confirm if this is the case. [13]

5. Matcha tea

According to some people, matcha tea is the healthiest tea that exists. Matcha is essentially a special type of green tea. It is in fact made from the same plant as green tea – the main difference is that matcha tea leaves are steamed much shorter. This allows for more nutrients to be preserved and helps the tea keep its bright green colour. Last but not least, when you drink matcha tea, you get more nutrients because you consume the leaf powder, whereas with normal green tea you consume only a small amount of the nutrients, those that are in the water, and discard the rest. Therefore a cup of matcha may contain twice the amount of polyphenols and other nutrients compared to green tea. [14]

• A recent trial showed that daily consumption of matcha, could have protective effects on cognitive decline in elderly people. [15]

• Another study showed that you obtain better results if you drink matcha in the form of tea, instead of adding the powder to food. [16]

6. White tea

White tea is very similar to green tea, but is less processed and with a milder taste. It has very similar health benefits to green tea.

Here you can find out more about the differences between white and green tea and which one is better for you: White tea or green tea – Guide to the better choice

7. Peppermint tea

Mint tea does not only have a deliciously fresh taste. It is also very good for your health. In addition to that, fresh mint tea could also boost your memory! Peppermint can easily be combined with other herbs to add a new layer of flavour and even more health benefits. Also, fresh mint tea can be very effective against bad breath!

• Mint tea improves your memory. A study has shown that people who drank mint tea before a test scored better! According to the results, the students’ long term memory, speed of memory and alertness had all increased after drinking peppermint tea. [17]

• Another study found that peppermint aroma can enhance memory and increase alertness. [18] The same study also found out that ylang-ylang has the opposite effect on memory.

8. Yerba mate

Yerba mate has been used by the Native Americans in South America for centuries. They drank it as an energy booster before physical exertion and found out that the drink has some other health benefits as well. Nowadays, Yerba mate is still a very popular drink in South America. Many people consider it a healthy alternative to coffee.

It has the reputation to be a booster for the memory and it could be very useful in weight management as well. [19]

• Yerba mate extract has shown positive effects on short and long term memory in animal studies. [20]

• Chlorogenic acid, a component found in mate, has shown neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects in animal and in-vitro studies. [21]

9. Gotu Kola

Gotu kola has been used in traditional Asian medicine for centuries. Its positive effect on memory is probably due to its ability to improve blood circulation and the supply of oxygen to the brain. Next to its positive effects on the memory, Gotu kola has many other potential health benefits as well. [22]

• Animal studies show that supplementing with a water extract of Gotu kola for two weeks, can significantly improve learning and executive function in mice. The extract also had other beneficial effects on the brain, such as increased synaptic density and an increase in a key mitochondrial protein. [23]

10. Turmeric

Turmeric is a root that looks somewhat like a ginger, but is a bit slimmer. It is one of the most common ingredients in curry dishes and provides a wonderful taste and a beautiful yellow color. But it is also very healthy. The most well-known ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Curcumin is famous for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. But curcumin could also be a booster for your brain. [24]

11. Ginseng

Ginseng is another herb that has been used in traditional Asian medicine for centuries. There is evidence that ginseng might help give your brain a memory boost, have anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects [25]. Besides this, there is also scientific evidence that Panax ginseng might work as an antidepressant. [26] So plenty of reason to brew yourself a cup of ginseng tea. To make your ginseng tea even more tasty, combine it with some green tea.

• A study has shown that ginseng extract can enhance memory in mice. There are also indications that ginseng could have a neuroprotective effect on the brain. [27]

12. Bacopa tea

Bacopa tea has been used for thousands of years in ancient Indian medicine. It contains lots of antioxidants and it has many possible health benefits [31]. Bacopa tea might be able to boost brain function, although still much research is needed to confirm this. Also, it may take a few weeks to notice results.

• One study showed that Bacopa supplements improved spatial learning and memory in rats. They also found that these supplements increased dendritic length and branching of nerve cells. [28]

• A study on humans showed that Bacopa extract could improve learning rate, memory, and the speed at which visual information is processed. [29] In order to achieve these results, the participants had to take this supplement daily for 12 weeks.

• In another study, Bacopa extract was able to improve attention and working memory in elderly people. [30]

The best tea for memory boost and focus

Fortunately for us, we have so many delicious and healthy choices when it comes to tea. There is of green tea and other relatives of the green tea such as white tea and matcha. But there are also many herbal teas such as rosemary tea, bacopa, ginger tea, ginseng, peppermint and many more! Not only are these teas tasty, but they can help improve your memory and focus as well.