Surprising compounds found in green tea have the potential to not only kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus but also combat a range of dangerous damage that this virus can inflict on the human body.
Drinking green tea alone is not enough to fight against SARS-CoV-2, but a medication derived from it could be very promising. Scientists from the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, and Yixing Hospital affiliated with Jiangsu University (China) have recently identified several promising compounds that could lead to a breakthrough treatment for both the prevention and treatment of Covid-19.
According to a paper recently published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, the biggest nemesis of Covid-19 found in green tea is the well-known compound EGCG.
Green tea may be the start of a breakthrough drug for both prevention and treatment of Covid-19 (Illustrative image from the Internet)
Previous studies have indicated that EGCG is also a “wonder drug” against a wide range of health issues, from inhibiting tumors to combating bacterial infections, providing strong anti-inflammatory effects, reducing fatty liver, cholesterol, and preventing atherosclerosis.
The new study shows that it is also a formidable adversary against SARS-CoV-2, attacking the virus in multiple ways.
First, EGCG can inhibit the ACE2 receptor – the “gateway” that SARS-CoV-2 needs to enter the human body. If it successfully bypasses this barrier, SARS-CoV-2 still faces the possibility of being thwarted in its replication through the “locking” of several important intracellular responses.
EGCG continues to attack the surviving adversaries by inhibiting the virus’s life cycle through encapsulating several crucial genes of the human body that the virus could exploit. If the virus is too strong, EGCG has one last card to play: with its extremely potent anti-inflammatory properties, it counters acute lung damage related to cytokine storms, reducing the risk of thrombosis, sepsis, and pulmonary fibrosis.
The good news is that in addition to EGCG, many other components in green tea also possess similar properties.
However, since consuming green tea in its raw form – drinking it directly – is not sufficient to produce these miraculous effects, scientists will need to continue their research to develop green tea extracts containing the necessary compounds into a pharmaceutical product.
This discovery is already a significant step forward, as pharmaceuticals based on natural ingredients are often safe and sustainable, with high potential for application in other diseases.