Heaven of Tea

Tea fights colds. Tea fights the flu. Tea fights cancer. Maybe it’s time to switch from coffee to tea! Drink 5-6 cups of tea a day (hot or iced) and you’ll get a significant boost in your immune system allowing you to better fight off diseases from viruses to tumors according to a new research study presented to the American Chemical Society.

Scientists from Harvard medical school and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have concluded the first study to link immunity with tea. A molecule that is in tea activates certain components of the immune system called gamma delta T lymphocytes, which are very important as the first line of defense against infection and tumors.

The Study: Dr. Jack Bukowski and his team assembled a group of volunteers who did not drink tea or coffee. They were told to drink 5-6 cups of black tea infusion or instant coffee for either two weeks or four weeks. Blood samples were taken to test the activity of the immune system against activity.

The Results: The blood samples of the tea drinkers were five times better able to react against the bacteria than the coffee drinkers by making the protein interferon gamma, a molecule that fights bacteria, viruses and tumors. Bukowski’s next study will go one-step further and try to show how drinking tea can actually protect you from even getting sick.

Cassandra in Atlanta