Velocity Wellness Center Podcast » Blog Archive » Green tea may help kill Superbugs

In a study done by researchers at Alexandria University (Egypt) it was found that green tea actually accentuated the effects of antibiotics. For many centuries it has been known (probably as old wives tales and folk medicine) to drink green tea when you’re feeling sick along with other natural herbs.

“We tested green tea in combination with antibiotics against 28 disease-causing microorganisms belonging to two different classes,” Dr Mervat Kaseem, of the university’s pharmacy faculty, said in a prepared statement. “In every single case, green tea enhanced the bacteria-killing activity of the antibiotics. For example, the killing effect of chloramphenicol was 99.99 percent better when taken with green tea than when taken on its own in some circumstances.”

In almost every case and for all types of antibiotics they tested, the researchers found that drinking green tea at the same time as taking the antibiotics appeared to increase the action of the antibiotics and reduce drug resistance in bacteria. In certain cases, even low concentrations of green tea were effective.

What exactly is Green Tea?

Green tea is made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis a native shrub to South and Southeast Asia. The leaves of the Camellia plant contains an active ingredient called “Catechins” which have shown antimicrobial properties in various laboratory studies. It was found that catechins cause a disruption in the bacterial DNA replication process. If the bacterial cannot multiply, they die.

Green tea has been used for centuries in Asian countries and most Westerners are familiar with it being served at Japanese restaurants in tea or ice cream form. Many beverages like lipton iced tea now offer a “green tea” version.

Other uses for Green Tea

Traditional forms of medicine (like Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda) use green tea to treat asthma, angina pectoris, heart disease, skin diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol and low immune function.

The main reasons for its popularity in treating these diseases is due to the chemical compounds called Polyphenols (epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG – you might remember the commercial for it). These polyphenols are super potent antioxidants that prevent your body from “rusting” from the inside out.

Dr. Mike’s Additional Comments:

In the study conducted by the researchers at Alexandria University (Egypt) I found it interested when they made this comment:

“Our results show that we should consider more seriously the natural products we consume in our everyday life,” Kaseem said. “In the future, we will be looking at other natural herb products such as marjoram and thyme to see whether they also contain active compounds which can help in the battle against drug resistant bacteria.”

I highly agree that more research needs to be done with natural herbs (being that’s where we get most, if not all, of the active ingredients for our medications). These herbs have been used for centuries in traditional healing methodologies. We need to get back to our roots. We need to realize that there are natural alternatives.