tea leaves

[nykkieberry]

I have just been told that dried tea leaves are excellent for deep cuts as they clot the blood and they are antiseptic. Is that correct before i go sprinkling the PG tips on my son's next inevitable war wound? I know that tea tree is antiseptic but that's a different plant isn't it? Thanks!

[sft42]

Off the top of my head the tea plant is camellia senesis (something like that) and I can find no record of any medical claim for the camellia family on the international societies home page There target=_blank>http://camellia-ics.org/_ics/home.htm

There maybe someone out there who knows better though.

[nykkieberry]

Just found this: The antiseptic properties of tea are attributed to the tannins and flavonoids present. The former also have anti-inflammatory effects, while the latter act as detoxifiers (van Wyk et al). Tea has been used as an age-old home remedy for burns, wounds and swelling. A poultice of green tea eases itching and inflammation of insect bites, while a compress stems bleeding' It would seem that GREEN tea rather than black tea has to be used!

[Cetti]

This may help for the inevitable next time nykkie - when my son was about 5 he fell through a greenhouse (don't ask!!), the cut on his hand was as deep as it could get, but luckily for me a nurse was staying with his friends, and she packed the cut with sugar,as she said that this was the finest thing for blood clotting as well as an antiseptic.