Green tea may help the body fight off invaders–bacteria and viruses–by stimulating the immune system to work harder and better. One study revealed that EGCG(green tea) encourages the product of interleukin-1(Sakagami, 1992) which in turn causes an increase in the numbers of T-cells. These T-cells then secrete chemicals that spur giant cell-eating structures called macrophages to gobble up foreign invaders.
Another study found that EGCG strengthened the effect of the immune system’s B-cells, and caused them to reproduce more rapidly in mice(Hu, 1992). This is important because just a single B-cell produces thousands and thousands of antibodies, each programmed to attack specific invaders. Anything that increases the strength or number of B-cells can markedly “rev up” the power of the immune system.
How much green tea do you need to drink to rev up your immune system? There’s a pattern in what science is telling us. If you’re thinking one cup of green tea would suffice, think again. The necessary dose was 400 milligrams of EGCG, every day. In order to obtain 400 milligrams of EGCG here in the United States, you’d have to drink over 20 cups of traditionally brewed green tea.
Current research indicates drinking 200 milligrams of EGCG from green tea several times throughout the day increases your prevention power from this natural elixir.