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Put down that bottle of hand sanitizer and pick up a handful of green tea leaves. A
2009 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that green
tea was effective at reducing risk of pneumonia Ȃone of the leading killers of
children and elderly around the world.1

In this study, Japanese researchers recorded diet, lifestyle, and causes of death for
about 20,000 men and 20,000 women over a 12-year period. After controlling for
factors that may have interfered with results such as age and body weight,
researchers found that green tea was protective against pneumonia death in
women, but not men. In fact, a single serving of green tea per day cut the risk of
contracting pneumonia by 41%.

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This study highlights one of the least recognized benefits of green tea: itǯs ability to
battle bacteria. However, itǯs not accurate to classily green tea as simply
Dzantibacterialdz -green tea has been shown to ward off bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
Itǯs this triple-action protection that shields the body from pneumonia Ȃa condition
that has bacterial, fungal, and viral causes.







 
   




 
Green tea has been shown to limit the activity of nasty viruses
like colds and the flu. According to a study done by the Japanese National Institute of
Health, green tea can make viruses weak and unable to hijack healthy cells.2

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Green tea inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria like salmonella, E.
Coli and even H. Pylori Ȃthe bacteria implicated as the cause of most stomach ulcers.
3

!"  The most active and beneficial compound in green tea, catechins,
has been shown to stimulate the immune system. Because catechins significantly
reduce inflammation and oxidation, scientists think that green tea increases the
effectiveness and activity of the immune system.

Interestingly, a 2004 study published in the journal Biological & Pharmaceutical

Bulletin found that the catechins themselves back-up your immune system by
providing it with extra hydrogen peroxide Ȃthe most powerful ammunition in your
immune cellǯs arsenal.4

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ãhile drinking green tea is certainly beneficial to health, many health experts feel
that to get the most out of green tea, you should eat the leaves themselves. Thatǯs
because only a small amount of the extremely high levels of health-promoting
compounds in green tea, like EGCG, are extracted into hot water.5 Also, certain parts
of the tea leaf, like fiber, are wasted when used tea bags are thrown into the garbage.
Instead of chomping on tea leaves by themselves, try this easy and delicious green
tea leaf recipe:

References:

1. Ikue ãatanabe. Green tea and death from pneumonia in Japan: the Ohsaki cohort
study. Am J Clin Nutr 90: 672-679, 2009

2. Mukoyama A, Ushijima H, Nishimura S, Koike H, Toda M, Hara Y, Shimamura T:

Inhibition of rotavirus and enterovirus infections by tea extracts. Jpn J Med Sci
Biol44 :181 Ȃ186,1991

3. Yee YK, Koo Mã , Szeto M : Chinese tea consumption and lower risk of
Helicobacter infection. J Gastroenterol Hepatol17 :552 Ȃ555,2002

4. Arakawa et al. Role of Hydrogen Peroxide in Bactericidal Action of Catechin

Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 27 :3.277-281, 2004

5. Zhou R, Zhou Y, Chen D, i S, Haug A. Effects of soaking temperature and soaking

time during preparation of water extract of tea on anticlastogenicity against
environmental tobacco smoke in the sister chromatid exchange assay. Toxicology
etters. 2000:115: 23-32.

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