Tea is always a good idea when a scratchy throat arises. It can soothe the symptoms but also go to the root of what is creating that immune response. Here are the four types of teas that boost your immune system and help fight inflammation, oxidation, and infection.
Ginger Tea
It lowers inflammation, and acts as an anti-oxidative in the body, according to a review, and that allows the immune system to operate without having to worry about “other” inflammation or cellular damage in the system, which can act like a traffic jam impeding the progress of a fire truck. In scientific terms, oxidation causes cellular aging, which can lead to cancer, so ginger is now considered an anti-cancer food. “The anticancer potential of ginger is well documented and its functional ingredients like gingerols, shogaol, and paradols are the valuable ingredients which can prevent various cancers,” the study concluded.
Ginseng Tea
It keeps the cytokine response in check. Ginseng has been shown to help the immune system fight off colds and flu. The science has found: “Ginseng has been extensively reported to maintain homeostasis of the immune system and to enhance resistance to illness or microbial attacks through the regulation of the immune system.”
How it does this: When the immune system responds to invaders, cytokines are mobilized, sometimes too much which gives rise to the cytokine storm – an overreaction that creates an inflammatory response that can actually hamper the lungs and your body’s ability to clear away the invaders.
Studies have shown that ginseng controls proinflammatory cytokine responses, to allow the T-killer cells and natural killer cells to do their jobs, unimpeded by the “panic” of overly-zealous cytokine cells. For the best dosage, look for 200 to 400 milligrams of ginseng extract, or make herbal ginseng tea and drink it daily.
Green Tea
It has powerful antioxidants that help your body fight off colds and flu, according to studies. Two of these disease-fighting polyphenols are EGCG and catechins, but green tea also contains other compounds that studies show have antiviral properties and could offer protection against infections.
In one study that examined the “Immunomodulation effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate [EGCG] from green tea: mechanisms and applications, EGCG appears to lower inflammation, boost energy, and even help the body burn fat.” The effects on the immune system are direct and indirect since studies show that obesity-related diseases and inflammation both suppress the body’s immune response.
This particular study found: “Consuming green tea or its active ingredient, epigallocatechin-3-gallate [EGCG] has been shown consistently to benefit the healthy functioning of several body systems. In the immune system specifically, accumulating evidence has revealed an immunomodulating effect of green tea or EGCG. Several types of immune cells in both the innate and adaptive immune systems are known to be affected in varying degrees by green tea/EGCG. Among them, the dramatic effect on T cell functions has been repeatedly demonstrated, including T cell activation, proliferation, differentiation, and production of cytokines.”
Turmeric Tea
It can actually prevent you from getting sick, studies show. Turmeric tea is a powerful immune booster that has been shown to not only reduce the symptoms of a cold or flu if you get sick but also protect you from getting sick in the first place. A study found that curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is traditionally known for its anti-inflammatory effects. But “curcumin has been shown in the last two decades to be a potent immunomodulatory agent that can modulate the activation of T cells, B cells, macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells,” according to the scientists.
While it is helping the immune system, it is also fighting off longer-term disease, the researchers have found: “Curcumin’s reported beneficial effects in arthritis, allergy, asthma, atherosclerosis, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer might be due in part to its ability to modulate the immune system.”
Source: thebeet.com