The nutritious drink even Santa needs this holiday season

Merry Christmas to everyone who’s celebrating today!

I truly hope you enjoy a relaxing, joyous, and healthy holiday.

And while you’re dreaming of a white Christmas—or dancing to silver bells—don’t forget to deck the spread with this green beverage…

After all, it may be the very tool you need to defeat some of winter’s worst viruses that may unwillingly be invited IN, alongside your guests.

Protective components

According to a recent analysis, green tea could prevent viral respiratory infections like COVID-19 and the flu.

Researchers gathered data from six randomized controlled trials (RCTs)—five from Japan and one from the U.S.—and four cohort studies to reach this conclusion.

They compared the effect of consuming green tea extracts in supplement form or from bottled green tea against a placebo supplement or water.

Ultimately, researchers found that tea catechins—also known an flavanols—protect against viral respiratory infections.

In short, catechins help stop the growth of viruses in the upper respiratory tract by forming a protective barrier in the throat.

And the more catechins consumed, the stronger the preventive effect seemed.

Get to brewing—or supplementing

There are four main catechins in green tea. But you’re likely most familiar with Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

In fact, you may recall some of their health-boosting benefits of catechins, like for your heart and brain. And now, I have a reason to add them to my immune health recommendations—especially during cold and flu season!

I advise brewing some organic green tea and enjoying two to three cups daily to boost your catechin consumption.

If you’re not a tea drinker, you can opt for a high-quality green tea extract supplement. You’ll want to look for these three things:

• A standardized product—one that contains 95 percent green tea extract is optimal
• A ratio that indicates potency—look for one that has a tea-to-water ratio of 50:1
• A product that indicates catechin/EGCG content—the best products contain 60 percent catechins and 30 percent EGCG

This may sound complicated, but a good, quality supplement will list these details on the label on the bottle.

Eager to learn more about what green tea has to other this holiday season, and beyond? Check out the April 2012 issue of my monthly newsletter, Logical Health Alternatives (“How to ensure you’re getting the best green tea has to offer”).

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Source:

“Green tea daily wards off influenza and other respiratory viruses, say researchers.” Nutra-ingredients, 01/18/2022. (nutraingredients.com/Article/2022/01/17/Green-tea-daily-wards-off-influenza-and-other-respiratory-viruses-say-researchers)