pte20240415001 Research/Development, Medical/Health
Scientific experiments from the University of Georgia show that gargling is more successful than drinking
 |
|
Tea lovers: consumption also prevents corona (Photo: Lachmann-Anke, pixabay.com) |
Tbilisi (pte001/15.04.2024/06:00)
People who drink a cup of black tea kill 99.9 percent of the viruses in the mouth that cause the corona infection. Malak Esseili, a virologist at the Center for Food Safety, made the surprising discovery. University of Georgia, done. She knew about the health benefits of drinking tea. So, he came up with the idea to check if this drink also helps against Covid-19.
Five of the 24 tees are useful
During the experiments, the expert discovered that five of them inactivate four in the saliva. “This is important because it reduces the penetration of the virus into the lower respiratory tract,” says Essely. Only there it produces its healing effect. Esseili and Juliana Morris, who received a master's degree in food science in 2023, examined 24 commercially available teas, some of which were said to be valuable for respiratory health. Five of these, including green and black tea, significantly reduced the virus in saliva, making it particularly effective. All experiments took place in the laboratory under simulated conditions.
The effectiveness of the tea was tested as a drink and gargle to provide an alternative for those who do not like tea. The researchers worked with tea bags and prepared the drinks according to the manufacturer's instructions. All five teas, when drunk, reduced the virus in the mouth by at least 96 percent within ten seconds. For the Gargal version, they used four tea bags. The infusion was highly effective, killing 99.9 percent of the viruses within ten seconds, the same for all five teas.
There is no substitute for traditional medicine
While clinical studies will now follow to better understand what impact these results might have on a patient with COVID-19, Esseili emphasizes that the tea is not a substitute for medical care. Nevertheless, preliminary results are particularly promising for those seeking support for medical care. “But tea can be an adjunctive intervention that patients and their families can easily use,” it concludes.
(result)
