Although COVID enters the body primarily through the respiratory tract, it can also enter through the mouth.
The plant polyphenols tea contains can reduce inflammation,potentially allowing the beverage to improve viral symptoms.
The researchers purchased 24 teas from multiple brands at the grocery store.
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Teas varied among leaves and types, including both true and herbal teas.
Teas were then incubated with SARS-CoV-2 and assessed after five minutes.
Green, Mint Medley, eucalyptus-mint, and Raspberry Zinger teas showed slight inactivation of COVID.
At the stronger concentrations, all varieties of tea showed a reduction in virus activity within 10 seconds.
The researchers attribute the effect to polyphenols.
Malak emphasized that deactivating a virus in saliva is not a replacement for getting a vaccine.
Should You Drink Tea If You Have COVID?
Whether tea is a must-have for infected individuals is yet to be determined.
Our study was done in the laboratory on viruses in test tubes, Malak said.
Thats when we see severe disease.
So, drinking or gargling with tea alone will not protect your lungs.
But it shouldnt be viewed as a prevention or treatment strategy.
For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.
Morris JN, Esseili MA.Screening commercial tea for rapid inactivation of infectious SARS-CoV-2 in saliva.Food Environ Virol.
2022;74(1):2-7. doi:10.1111/lam.13591
