Abstract
Influenza is one of the most serious respiratory viral infections worldwide. Although several studies have reported that green tea catechins (GTCs) might prevent influenza virus infection, this remains controversial. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of eight studies with 5048 participants that examined the effect of GTC administration on influenza prevention. In a random-effects meta-analysis of five RCTs, 884 participants treated with GTCs showed statistically significant effects on the prevention of influenza infection compared to the control group (risk ratio (RR) 0.67, 95% CIs 0.51–0.89, p = 0.005) without evidence of heterogeneity (I2 = 0%, p = 0.629). Similarly, in three cohort studies with 2223 participants treated with GTCs, there were also statistically significant effects (RR 0.52, 95% CIs 0.35–0.77, p = 0.001) with very low evidence of heterogeneity (I2 = 3%, p = 0.358). Additionally, the overall effect in the subgroup analysis of gargling and orally ingested items (taking capsules and drinking) showed a pooled RR of 0.62 (95% CIs 0.49–0.77, p = 0.003) without heterogeneity (I2 = 0%, p = 0.554). There were no obvious publication biases (Egger’s test (p = 0.138) and Begg’s test (p = 0.103)). Our analysis suggests that green tea consumption is effective in the prophylaxis of influenza infections. To confirm the findings before implementation, longitudinal clinical trials with specific doses of green tea consumption are warranted.
Highlights
We found that participants with a history of green tea consumption showed a significant association with improved influenza prevention, with a small degree of heterogeneity
The results suggested that gargling with green tea may slightly reduce influenza compared to gargling with water, which is similar to this study (RR, 0.75 of RCTs events)
Statistical tests were two-sided, with p-values of 0.05 indicating statistical significance. This meta-analysis shows that regular green tea consumption, whether by taking green tea catechins (GTCs)
Summary
Influenza is one of the world’s greatest infectious disease challenges. Annual epidemics result in an estimated 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness and approximately. 290,000 to 650,000 deaths from respiratory illnesses, during the global winter [1]. Influenza viruses of subtypes A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) are currently circulating in humans. The influenza type B viruses currently circulating belong to either the B/Yamagata or the B/Victoria lineages. The virus particles can be transmitted from person to person by respiratory droplets, aerosols, and contact [2,3]. Various hygiene and physical distancing measures have helped to reduce the transmission of the influenza virus [4], and while the most effective method of preventing the disease is vaccination, it is not 100% effective
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