Epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG is a healthy compound in green tea.
EGCG is thought to have a protective action for the body's immune system from the HIV virus.
A UK-US research team studied the effects of EGCG in laboratory test tubes and found that EGCG stopped the HIV virus from binding to the body's immune cells by getting there first. The idea is that EGCG offers some hope that consumers could one day use green tea, or extracts from it, alongside conventional medicines to combat HIV.