Green tea gargling wards off influenza, other respiratory viruses — Experts

EXPERTS’ review of studies of green tea suggests that daily intake of green tea has significant protective effects against influenza and other upper respiratory tract infections.

Researchers reviewed six random control trials (RCTs) and four prospective cohort studies to evaluate the evidence supporting the effectiveness of tea gargling and tea catechin consumption in preventing viral respiratory infections.

They explain that catechins (or flavanols) present in green tea inhibit the proliferation of viruses in the upper respiratory tract (URT) by forming a protective barrier in the pharynx.

On flavanol, in particular, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), has a direct anti-viral effect and physically binds to and flushes out viruses in the URT.

According to them, “EGCg and epigallocatechin (EGC) bind to the hemagglutinin spike on the viral surface and neuraminidase to inhibit attachment of the virus to the cell surface, thereby preventing influenza infection.

“Given the evidence that EGCg, a main component of tea catechins, provides effective protection against influenza virus and adenovirus, it may also protect against respiratory infections caused by other viruses.”

Interest in non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) that may slow or prevent the spread of the infectious disease has increased due to recent pandemics involving influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and COVID-19.

Measures that can reduce their impact and severity in the early stages is deemed key in the fight against infection. There is considerable research on the efficacy of NPIs, such as hand washing, wearing masks and physical distancing, in reducing the transmission of respiratory infections have been performed, but limited documentary proof supporting the effectiveness of tea gargling and tea catechin, therefore the efficacy of the intervention is “not well accepted”.

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One study reviewed by the team demonstrated consumption of catechin capsules reduced the incidence of influenza-like symptoms by 32.1 per cent, and another noted “strong effects” following consumption of large amounts of catechins per day.

The cohorts from the four studies were selected from populations with a custom of gurgling black tea and green tea, consumption of black tea and green tea, and those who consumed Goishi tea, a local type of green tea produced in the Kochi prefecture in Japan.

Interventions in the RCTs included data from 3,748 subjections and consumption of either green tea extracts (catechin solution for two RCTs, and catechin-containing capsules for two RCTs) or bottled green tea (two RCTs), with placebo (four RCTs) or water (two RCTs) as the control group.