We have always been great believers in the power of tea, especially considering how rich tea is in flavonoids.
Flavonoids are a large group of plant compounds thought to provide health benefits by signalling cells in our bodies to do certain things and via their antioxidant effects. Nutritionists have been exploring the health benefits of flavonoid-rich foods like blueberries, wine and tea, for years but there are still many questions.
At the same time there has been growing evidence suggesting that our gut microbes play an important role in protecting us against severe influenza infections.
Hoping to better understand how the microbes in our gut influence our immune systems’ response to flu infections, researchers at the University of Washington at St. Louis wondered if flavonoids might be involved.
So they went looking to see if there were any gut microbes in humans that were able to breakdown flavonoids. Eureka! They found what they were looking for in Clostridium orbiscindens. They then used this microbe to break down flavonoids into smaller metabolites and used them to boost the immune response in mice later infected with the influenza virus.
The results were promising. Flu-related lung damage was significantly reduced in the mice, which would be similar to complications like pneumonia in humans. The influenza virus was still present but with the correct gut microbes and flavonoids, the infection was not as severe.
Although more work needs to be done to fully understand if this interaction works the same way in humans…
So how many flavonoids do different types of tea have?
Green, Black and White teas are the best choices for maximizing flavonoids (see table below). Try Samurai Sencha, Strawberry Fields, Mango Tango or Vanilla Pomegranate Parfait as your pre-flu season defence!
Black Tea, brewed prepared with tap water |
Black Tea, brewed made with tap water. Decaf |
Green Tea, brewed |
Green Tea, brewed Decaf |
White Tea, Brewed |
Oolong Tea, brewed |
Coffee, brewed from grounds |
Red Table Wine, Cabernet Savignon |
118 |
57 |
138 |
70 |
69 |
52 |
0.2 |
55 |
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