Tea Bags Help Cure Minor Ills

July 20, 2003

People have been using tea and/or tea bags for curing mild skin irritations

for hundreds of years. Why?

Several substances, classified as antioxidants, are found in tea. These

are the components that are able to combine with unstable positively charged

oxygen molecules, otherwise known as 'free radicals'. These "bad guy" 'free

radicals' have been shown to cause not only cellular damage, but also can

damage DNA. As a consequence to the damage, various health problems develop.

Therefore, the antioxidants that are naturally occurring in tea, help

remove the "free radicals" which helps promote better health. Other well

known antioxidants are vitamins C and E. Some of the antioxidants that

are found in tea are much more powerful than these two vitamins.

Tea also contain tannins. These tannins form a mild astringent. The

tannins in tea are not to be confused with the tannic acid in oak leaves

that are used to tan leather. They are NOT the same. Tannic Acid is found

in, for example, Oak leaves and, originally, was extracted to perform the

task of tanning leather. Tea Tannins will not tan leather.

The formula for Tannic Acid (Acidum Tannicum) is: C14 H10 O9

The formula for Tea Tannins is: C20 H20 O9

The tannins in tea possesse antiviral properties (some over-the-counter

medications for cold sores contain tannins). Placing a tea bag on cold

sores when they begin to form (especially during the Tingle stage) can

possibly minimize the extent to which they will develop. One should position

the moistened tea bag on the area where the cold sore is forming for a

few minutes every hour.

Hint: After boiling tea bags, do not throw them away. Instead

place boiled tea bags directly into freezer bags and freeze them. You now

have instant cold tea bags to use for tired eyes or for soothing mild skin

irritations. Because the tea bags have been boiled, any microorganism has

been killed making the tea bag sterile.

Just pull from the freezer and thaw a few seconds before placing

on eye lids or place frozen tea bag directly onto mild skin irritations

for a "cold numbing" effect.

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