Rinsing mouth with water prevents influenza
Rinsing mouth with water prevents influenza
Research by Professor Tadayoshi Inamura of Showa University in Japan shows that catechins in tea inhibit the activity of influenza viruses. Consistent use of tea water for rinsing can effectively prevent influenza.
Influenza primarily occurs when viruses attach to and replicate on mucosal cells in the nose and throat. Regular rinsing with tea water coats these mucosal cells with catechins, blocking viral attachment and killing the virus. Catechins act like a vaccine against influenza, providing preventive protection. The professor notes that oolong tea, black tea, and Japanese tea all contain catechins, but green tea is most effective in preventing influenza.
Diluting everyday green tea to one-quarter strength and mixing it with influenza virus for just five seconds renders the virus non-infectious. Professor Inamura, an expert in cholera bacteria, discovered as early as 1988 that catechins have powerful bactericidal effects. He believes that adding a certain amount of catechins to cholera bacteria stops their activity within seconds.