Green tea for colds researchA recent double-blind study on cold and flu symptoms tested green tea chemicals against placebo with 120 adults (age 18 to 70) for three months.
Compared to placebo, the green tea group had significant results showing
- a decrease in the number of symptomatic days by 36%
- a decrease in the need for medical treatment due to symptoms by 58%
- an average increase in immune system gammadelta T cells by 28%, and
- an average increase in immune system IFN-gamma secretion by 26%
The formula for the tested green tea chemicals (45% EGCG plus theanine) is proprietary and patent-pending, but researchers stated that drinking 10 cups of green tea daily would give an equivalent result (Rowe CA, Journal American College Nutrition, 2007).
If you have a health condition or are taking medication that prohibits you from drinking that much green tea for colds, you might want to check the results with a green tea gargle for flu prevention or try green tea capsules with your doctor's consent.