Drinking hot tea is a great way to hydrate your body especially during cold winter months. While boosting your immune system is a complex process involving your physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing, tea can be a refreshing part of the overall strategy.
Everyone has heard by now of the benefits of green tea. Studies have shown that green tea builds our immune system with antioxidants, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. It has been shown to reduce the risk of getting cancer and Alzheimer’s. It even pumps up the metabolism so we can lose a little weight. Another form, White Tea, is made from the younger leaves of the plant and may be even more effective.
The main constituent of green tea, the antioxidant epigalocatechin gallate (EGCG) induced breast cancer cells to self-destruct in one study. EGCG appears to block the growth of blood vessels to the tumors which starves them of nutrients. Another study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that drinking green tea reduced the chances of cognitive decline by 54%.
Kombucha Tea is made from the Kombucha or Manchurian “mushroom” which is really a pancake-shaped fungus. It is also now widely used to boost immunity. The fungus is a combination of health-promoting lichen, beneficial bacteria and yeast that has been used in Asia as a natural energy booster for centuries. It is brewed as an antiviral and antibacterial tea by leaving it to ferment for a week in a mixture of water, sugar, apple cider vinegar and green black tea. It is used to fight immune-related syndromes such as Chronic Fatigue and Multiple Sclerosis. Some people claim it can help reverse the ageing process.
If Kombucha sounds like a little too much work, you can make your own immune-boosting herbal teas with some slices of ginger and cinnamon sticks brewed with Cat’s Claw tea from the Uncaria Tomentosa plant and sweetened with apple or blackcurrant concentrate.
Cat’s Claw is an herb which grows in the rain forests of South America. It contains oxyindole alkaloids that stimulate immune function with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. If you don't like Cat's Claw, experiment with various herb teas to find the right taste for you. The nice people at your local health food store can help you find an immune-stimulating tea.
Echinacea, commonly called Purple coneflower, is the top-selling herb in the US. Introduced into western medical practice in 1887, it is generally accepted as an immune booster. It is said to work by increasing the numbers and the activity of white blood cells, and by increasing the production of interferon, a chemical that is critical to the immune system response. Echinacea can't be taken continuously or the effectiveness is reduced. Take it for a few weeks then take at least a week off. Don't take it for more than eight weeks continuously.
Please note: The information here is not to be followed as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with your physician or primary health practitioner for information regarding your own personal health and necessary treatments.
