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Combating effect of Air Pollution with Green Tea
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Wednesday, 02 December, 2020, 16 : 00 PM [IST]
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Sundeip Bhatia
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With the onset of winters and festivals around the corner, the air quality index (AQI) is plunging each day in Delhi and other nearby areas. The poor air quality is causing many health issues like throat irritation, sneezing, and coughing in almost all the age groups. Apart from respiratory issues, exposure to air pollution also gives a rise to cardiovascular disorders, fatigue, headache and anxiety. Since people are also skeptical to visit hospitals due to the coronavirus pandemic, they are mostly adhering to home-based remedies and various green teas to keep their health in check and strengthen their immunity system.
However, it is suggested that whenever somebody is stepping outside, wearing a mask that fits your face is essential as it will not only protect from Covid-19 infection but also will prevent inhaling harmful pollutant matters. It is quite likely that you will experience respiratory illnesses like cough, cold and congestion if you don’t adhere to precautions. We also need to introduce certain lifestyle changes to fight with the air pollution. One such amendment is drinking green tea, which has become a staple for health because of its numerous benefits. One of these benefits is that it helps fight many kinds of harm that pollution does to our bodies.
Why should one take green tea?
The time we live in undergoes more environmental issues like global warming and rising air pollution than any other generation. The catechin content of green tea acts as a savior to fight the ill-effects of pollution in our body. The catechins are antioxidants, which fight and prevent cell damage. We all know, taking antioxidants regularly reduces the risks of oxidative damage, which would otherwise result in diseases such as various forms of cancer. The same applies to many kinds of effects that pollution has on our bodies. In case of air pollution our lungs get oxidised resulting in damage to the respiratory system but Green tea antioxidants fight to reverse this damage.
Even the presence of EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), a major polyphenolic compound, is found to exhibit a wide range of therapeutic properties, including:
• anti-oxidant
• anti-inflammatory
• anti-atherosclerosis
• anti-myocardial infarction
• anti-diabetes
Lemon and ginger green tea
Ginger is excellent for controlling cough, congestion and cold. Ginger is a natural antiviral which helps to fight against illness and bacteria that causes cold. Ginger can heal from nausea and reduce congestion. Lemon helps in strengthening the immune system. As lemons are rich in Vitamin C, this drink shields the body from disease-causing microbes and helps the body fight back without antibiotics.
Green tea and skin
Air pollution is not just a health concern. It is rapidly becoming a beauty issue not only in India but also globally. Toxic fumes from vehicles and industries are the primary cause of skin ageing in polluted cities. New research shows that air pollution causes wrinkles and premature ageing. Many studies suggest that both drinking green tea and applying its extracts can have benefits for your skin. Green tea extracts help with acne and help your skin look younger but it also has the potential for helping to prevent melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers.
(The author is Business Head at Shilpa Medicare Limited)
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