A new animal study hints that compounds found in green tea may ward off neurological damage that can come with the breathing disorder sleep apnea.

Researchers found that when they put green tea in rats' drinking water, it appeared to protect the rats' brain from oxygen depravation designed to mimic the effects of obstructive sleep apnea.

The findings suggest that green tea compounds should be further studied as a potential OSA therapy.

OSA is common disorder where soft tissues in the throat temporarily collapse and block the airway during sleep, causing a person to stop and start breathing all through the night.

The symptoms include loud snoring and snorting, as well as daytime fatigue. OSA left untreated can cause high blood pressure. Research suggests that intermittent dips in oxygen to the brain can cause memory and learning difficulties.

The new study looked at whether green tea compounds called catechin polyphenols could protect the brain from oxygen deprivation.

Catechin polyphenols act as antioxidants, which means they help neutralize cell-damaging particles called oxygen free radicals. Free radicals are normal byproducts of the metabolism, but in excess they lead to a state known as oxidative stress.

The study compaired rats' drinking plain water to rats' drinking water with green tea. The rats that were given the green tea water did better on standard tests of memory and learning.