After water, green tea, along with its white and black variants, all from the Camellia sinesis shrub,is the most consumed beverage in the world. There may be no beverage more salubrious. The tea plant is rich in valuable antioxidants known as polyphenols. The polyphenols in green tea are called catechins, of which EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) is the most active and well known.

Other beneficial compounds like the relaxation amino acid L-theanine and the energizing, mind sharpening alkaloids theobromine and theophylline may also be present. Green tea has numerous health benefits, from quelling the fires of inflammation to protecting healthy heart and brain function, from supporting immunity to improving metabolism while impacting blood sugar balance. This time of year, it piques the interest of anyone looking to keep the flu at bay, and the evidence is impressive.

Green Tea and Immunity

Nobody wants their winter holiday season to be plagued with a cold or the flu. When you need a simple and effective immune boost, look towards green tea. This mighty leaf strengthens and supports the immune system in several significant ways. Green tea has long been recognized as having powerful antiviral properties. Tea actually alters the structure of the virus itself, which suppresses the ability of the virus to cause an infection. EGCG has the ability to attach to the cell membrane of the flu virus. EGCG binds to a glycoprotein on the flu virus called hemagglutinin, which blocks the ability of the virus to infect other cells.i This makes green tea a potent weapon against contracting the flu, and can aid in a quick recovery as well. Recent research shows that green tea also inhibits the neuraminidase enzyme slowing the spread from cell to cell of many viruses.

Another component of green tea, L-theanine, has been shown to increase immune responses. L-Theanine activates and aids in the production of a type of white blood cell called gamma-delta-T lymphocyte ii , a quick acting immune cell that launches a mighty attack on invading pathogens like the flu virusiii . L-Theanine also helps to make interferon-gammaiv , an important cytokine (signaling protein of the immune system) that has powerful antimicrobial propertiesv . These immune cells are an essential part of the body’s defenses against viruses and other invaders. By directly stimulating the action of the immune system and inactivating viruses, green tea offers unrivaled protection against illness.

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