Whenever there is a problem at home my mum always responds in the same way, saying “I’ll put the kettle on”. There is no problem too great that it cannot be cured by a nice cup of tea. Now, I thought it was just my dear old Irish mother who was the only one who thought that way, but now a study in the journal Microbiologist shows she is not alone. Not only that, the study shows that a nice cup of tea could be just what you need to help counter an anthrax attack. That’s right, an anthrax attack. You remember anthrax, that nasty, deadly biological weapon favored by international terrorists. At least, that’s what we were told. But, now researchers from Cardiff University in Wales and the University of Maryland in the U.S. (now there’s an odd coupling) say a cup of black tea could be a useful weapon in countering this terrorist threat.
The researchers say tea, and it has to be black tea so hold the milk, have special compounds called polyphenols that can apparently counter the activity of anthrax. So in the event of a terrorist attack go and put the kettle on.
Oh, and the lead researcher from Wales, being a clever chap, couldn’t resist one little dig at his colleagues in the U.S. Professor Les Baillie is quoted in a news release on this study saying “Given the ability of tea to bring solace and steady the mind, and to inactivate anthrax and its toxin, perhaps the Boston tea party was not such a good idea after all.”
And you know, as a tea lover, I’d have to agree with him.
This is an excellent article. Well written, entertaining, and adds to the long list of amazing health benefits attributed to tea. Permission has been requested for use of this article. This post from http://www.healthyandsimple.com