Previous research has determined that polyphenols are compounds with potent antioxidant activity, including the ability to eradicate free radicals, and have thus suggested to offer potential protection against a variety of diseases.   A team of German scientists enrolled 98 people who reported symptoms of the common cold that started in the previous 24 hours, and participants randomly either received a juice containing of green tea, grape seed and grape skin extract and shiitake mushroom or a placebo beverage, twice a day for 10 days.  At the end of the study, the researchers observe that “ there were highly significantly more patients in the [juice] group complaint free than in the placebo group  … In addition to these self-reported values, several local findings of the physical examination were also significantly improved in the [juice] group.”