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.
