Green Tea Forum

bluestem · White Belt Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 23

Excerpt from an article on how to fight colds on AOL.com Jan. 15th, shows research proof that green tea has cold fighting compounds:

http://body.aol.com/health/winter-health/fight-cold

STRATEGY #3: BREW THE COLD-VIRUS KILLER
Swap your 3 p.m. coffee for a caffeine-toting cold buster: green tea. When Canadian researchers added green tea to lab samples of the adenovirus (one of the bugs responsible for colds), they found that it stopped the virus from replicating. All the credit goes to EGCG, a chemical compound found in certain kinds of tea, but in the highest concentrations in green tea. Start pumping green tea into your bloodstream at the first sign of a cold and you should be able to stop the advance of the adenovirus. "It's the difference between staying home for 2 or 3 days, and going to work and just sniffling a bit," says Joseph M. Weber, Ph.D., the lead study author and a professor of microbiology at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec. The best brand to brew? Tetley; it was one of the most effective in Weber's study. Note: To brew the maximum amount of EGCG, boil a mug of water in the microwave, toss in a tea bag, and let it steep for 10 minutes. Sweeten with honey.

syntheticpanda · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 198

I hardly ever trust generalized reports of scientific studies. The details are often incredibly important and are usually glossed over by layman's reports in an effort to more succinctly prove something. No offense, but if I'm going to be convinced, I want to see the research paper.

Kevangogh · Forum God Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 904 Location: Japan

From my personal experience, I do believe this to be true. I have stopped many colds from developing further by drinking a lot of green tea right at the onset of symptoms. I think this is really one of the biggest benefits of drinking green tea.

Tetley? I'm not so sure about that, I use kabusecha for this.

That's not scientific, just a personal observation.

Chip · Posted: Jan 16, 2008 4:54 pm Post subject:

I have to agree with Kevin on this. I used to get killer colds and acute sinusitus every winter and had to take antibiotics each time. It would be so bad, I felt like I was going to die.

Since I drink green tea, none. All Winter, I also use a saline nasel spray.

Coincidence, maybe, but I am a believer.

I am not a believer of the exploiters that are out there though. Kevin has always taken a higher road... kudos to him. Exclamation

syntheticpanda · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 198

Well, I do trust you guys, so I guess I'm not totally skeptical anymore. That said, I would still like to see the paper, at least to satisfy my curiosity. Smile

spacesamurai · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 204

This is the one area where I've seen any health benefits to tea.

Like Chip, I used to get real sick at least once a winter, sore throat, stuck in bed with my fever and hallucinations, the works. But in the three years I've been drinking tea, it hasn't happened.

bluestem · White Belt Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 23

Ok Syntheticpanda,
You brought out the geek in me, and I found a collection of research abstracts, one of them about adenoid viruses and green tea from Doc Joseph Weber at University of Sherbrooke. Dry as matcha powder.... here they are....

http://www.lef.org/abstracts/codex/green_tea_abstracts_01.htm

syntheticpanda · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 198

Thanks bluestem. It looks good, but there was one part that I was worried might show up:

"However, the anti-adenoviral effects measured in vitro and ex vivo were at drug concentrations well above the plasma concentrations of EGCG in green tea drinkers to presume to afford protection against adenovirus infection."

That said, there seems to be quite a bit of anecdotal evidence out there, even in this forum, to safely assume that ECGC concentrations in green tea drinker plasma are high enough to have some effect, even if it isn't as much as these researchers reported.

In a perfect world, they would have measured ECGC counts in green-tea-drinker blood plasma and then applied that concentration of ECGC to their cell cultures in vitro, but it ain't a perfect world.

Thanks again for the article! You can find the whole paper here, if you like.

FataliTEA · Posted: Jan 17, 2008 4:25 am Post subject:

bluestem · White Belt Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 23

You know, after I sent that link, and read things more carefully, I found that same passage, which confirmed Synthetic's skepticism. It seems the positive results, in many lab studies, are almost always from mega doses of whatever given compound they are studying. I appreciate your added thought of what the reseachers overlooked:

"In a perfect world, they would have measured ECGC counts in green-tea-drinker blood plasma and then applied that concentration of ECGC to their cell cultures in vitro, but it ain't a perfect world. "

Another aspect of studying a compound like ECGC on human health is the long term effects. Perhaps drinking it over an extended period of time is what is effective, not necessarily the dosage. Maybe it accumulates in the plasma over time, then the party begins. Clots and plaque build up good stuff in the blood stream?

I know it took a while before I started feeling the good buzz from drinking green tea.

Chip · Posted: Jan 17, 2008 5:56 am Post subject:

Is there a "Practitioner of Classical Asian Medicine" in the house....is there a "Practitioner of Classical Asian Medicine" in the house.

Hmmm. There is never one available when you need one. Very Happy

Ryan · Sensei Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 475

Green tea GO GO GO !

syntheticpanda · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 198

Kevangogh · Forum God Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 904 Location: Japan

Once again, this is in no way scientific, but from my experience - you can knock out a cold real quick with green tea if you hit it heavy at the first onset of symptoms. The first time I experienced this about 7 years ago, it was evening and I had a scratchy, sore throat, body aches, etc. You know what it's like when you are about to be hit with a cold? Like that. I chucked back a load of kabusecha all evening and then went to bed expecting the inevitable. When I awoke, much to my surprise, all symptoms were completely gone. The first time I did this I thought perhaps it was just a fluke. However, I have done this numerous times and I am pretty convinced green tea is quite effective for this and no need to wait weeks for it. From my experience, you have to get it early though. No one will convince me this isn't effective, I've done it too many times.

britt · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 175