To boost memory, don't forget to drink tea

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
The wonders attributed to tea just keep multiplying. Green tea is said to boost the immune system, control cholesterol and slow aging.
White tea is alleged to be even more powerful. Now, according to Prevention magazine, a study shows that tea made of lemon balm, a member of the mint family, may boost memory, concentration and calm.
At Northumbria University in Newcastle, Great Britain, 20 students took standardized word and picture tests to measure memory and mood. They were examined on five days with seven days in between.
During that time they took lemon balm in powdered form or a placebo. Those who had taken the highest dose (1,600 milligrams) of lemon balm consistently had higher test scores than the students who had lower doses of the balm or a placebo. They also felt more serene.
It may be no surprise to some. As the story goes on a lemon balm Web site, one of Louis XIV's physicians tried the tea on an elderly chicken, and it began to grow fresh feathers and lay eggs again.
Prevention recommends tea made with 3 teaspoons of the powder or 3 tea bags and 2 cups boiling water. Steep for 5 minutes, strain and sweeten to taste. Then drink a lot of it.