Germicidal Potential

Germicidal Potential

Some researchers claim tea acts as a mild germicide in the digestive tract to help prevent food poisoning and diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. "the antibacterial effects of tea have been well documented in Chinese scientific literature," writes Dr. Albert Y. Leung in Chinese Herbal Remedies. "Green teas have stronger effects than black teas. They are effective against many types of bacteria, including those that cause dysentery, diphtheria, and cholera.... Tea in the form of a decoction was particularly effective.... in treating bacillary dysentery, amoebic dysentery, acute gastroenteritis (inflammation of stomach and intestine), and enteritis (inflammation of the intestine)." there are reports of its use against plague bacilli in Japan.

Tea drinking, particularly after a meal, is "a great contribution to the prevention of a variety of contagious diseases," Professor Ryu concluded.

Cuts can benefits from washing in tea if there is nothing more medicinal around. Washing with tea is thought to prevent breaking out on the face. It is a treatment for athlete's foot, and dried used tea leaves in the socks prevent a recurrence. A home remedy for sunburn in the West is cold tea. Chewed tea leaves placed on insect bites are said to relieve the discomfort.

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