Day by day, every country has started various measures against COVID-19 and the related disruptions. I respect the quick decision of UK government to implement the safety net for the citizens, mainly self-employed and people staying in their homes. Although the threat of life on account of the novel coronaviruses is our first concern, the subsequent economic problem which most of us are facing now is the second biggest issue. I’m also afraid that the damage in worldwide supply chain might disturb lives of tea growers in each tea estate all over the world.
As mentioned at the previous post, tea gargling is one of the undefined but valuable options we can actually and immediately practice as a preventive care against viral diseases.
Considering the effect of tea polyphenols against influenza, it took more than 10 years to indicate the significant effect of tea gargling for prevention of influenza infection[750,751,753,754,766]. Even if meta-analysis using the cases in this four months could indicate the effective drugs or countermeasures against the novel coronavirus, the publishing bias could not be avoided. (Of course the effort trying meta-analysis using the data available now is significantly important to overcome the worldwide viral disaster.) Thus I think we should do all we can try with less risk. The long dietary experience shows the safety of tea, as well as other familiar foods. So we can try tea gargling with little risk.
In Shizuoka prefecture, various local tea associations in each tea estate voluntarily donate their tea to various facilities such as elementary schools, nursing homes and the largest shopping malls.
In this weekend, CENOVA, one of the largest shopping mall in Shizuoka city, has presented powder green tea for gargling to visitors for free, in order to help visitors to promote their health by tea gargling. The tea would be donated by its vendors, I guess.
Some elementary schools have recommend their students to gargle with green tea for long time, as a measure against influenza and common cold. In this year, the schools might hope the preventive effect against the coronavirus.
Many tea associations have been practicing all they can do. And various facilities also have been doing in response to their efforts.
As they do, I’d like to contribute something I can do, even for just a bit. This is because I wrote this post to share their great practices and the scientific background, carried out in the United Tea Estates of Shizuoka.
Hopefully many readers of this post would practice tea gargling and overcome the worldwide threat of COVID-19.
< References >
[750] Furushima D., Ide K., Yamada H. (2018) : Effect of Tea Catechins on Influenza Infection and the Common Cold with a Focus on Epidemiological/Clinical Studies, Molecules 23(7):1795.
[751] Yamada H., Takuma N., Diamon T., Hara Y. (2006) : Gargling with Tea Catechin Extracts for the Prevention of Influenza Infection in Elderly Nursing Home Residents: A prospective clinical study, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 12(7):669-672.
[753] Toyoizumi K., Yamada H., Matsumoto K., Sameshima Y. (2013) : Gargling with Green Tea or Influenza Prophylaxis: A Pilot Clinical Study
[754] Ide K., Yamada H., Matsushita K., Ito M., Nojiri K., Toyoizumi K., Matsumoto K., Sameshima Y. (2014) : Effects of Green Tea Gargling on the Prevention of Influenza Infection in High School Student: A Randomized Controlled Study, PLOS One 9(5):e96373.
[766] Ide K., Yamada H., Kawasaki Y. (2016) : Effect of gargling with tea and ingredients of tea on the prevention of influena infection: a meta-analysis, BMC Public Health 16:396.