BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Tea Guard against Influenza

Dear Tea Readers,

The news is filled with reports of Coronavirus, but did you know it is still regular flu season? And the regular flu can be devastating to some people like the elderly and children. Did you know that drinking tea can help to protect you by helping to combat the flu? Green tea especially, and black tea will help add antioxidants naturally. Tea helps regenerate the cells that fight against germs that cause the virus.

Drinking tea is good and anything to help your line of defence is great. *Please remember to also always wash your hands, don't touch your face, cover mouths completely for sneezing and coughing. and clean down surfaces that you touch. (i.e. with antiseptic cleaning wipes) Remember for things other than the flu; like the other viruses in the news please consult your doctors.

Keep drinking tea! Have a great day.


Mary Caliendo
Tea Editor

I'm not into green tea but I sure do go through tea at my house.

In my area there are no cleaning wipes; no disinfecting bleach; and sanitizing liquid is scarce.

Fortunately, I noticed that there were some boxes of tea in the grocers but Im going to see about placing an order with Red Rose or Twinings soon so that I can restock.

Dear Angie,

Our supply chain has not caught up in our area either. It is hard to find anything at all with the names Clorox, Lysol, or toilet paper. Can make homemade cleanser if you have needed items on hand. Keep boosting up your own self immunity and that of your family with tea, water, fresh veggies (if you can get them), if you can. I personally take some supplements for my own personal health like vitamin D3 and I have added vitamin C once per day. *disclaimer I'm not a doctor but I do this for my own personal health.

Here's a quickie recipe for disinfectant

1 gallon of water (USE ONLY WATER)
5 TBS of bleach

mix together. Put some into a spray bottle, spray surface (countertop for ex.) Leave sitting "wet" on the surface for at least 10 minutes before wiping down with cotton rag. I hope that this was helpful.

Talk to you soon!

Mary Caliendo
Tea Editor

Dear Tea Readers,


On top of all that is going on, do not forget to get your flu shot, although, optimal time would've been before Thanksgiving, I believe if your doctor/pharmacy still has the stock you can get it. Keep boosting by drinking your green tea and taking supplements.


Mary Caliendo
Tea Editor

I've gotten mine. Not crazy about green tea.

Dear Angie,

I'm so glad to hear that! A lot of people do not like the taste of green tea, one can add things into it to get the benefit. Green tea has a lot more antioxidants than other tea, but black tea does too just less. Green tea actually acts on the cellular level in our bodies, this helps create a defense.

Try to sweeten with monk fruit sweetener, or honey, or something like stevia, or add a dash of lemon. One can also try a green tea with ginger or something like that, to add another layer of flavor but still getting the green tea. Lastly, if you like Matcha, it is the highest antioxidant level. But Matcha has a more pungent taste or grassier flavor. Could try a matcha latte, but it just adds to the caloric levels.
Compare notes if you try.
Have a great day.

Mary Caliendo
Tea Editor