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Does green tea strengthen teeth?
20th Apr 2010
A new study reveals that green tea contains antimicrobial molecules called catechins that may promote dental health.
Researchers found that people aged 40-64 who drank one cup of green tea a day were less likely to lose teeth, reports www.news.discovery.com.
The research, published in Preventive Medicine, sugests that drinking at least one cup of green tea a day increases the odds of keeping your teeth as you age.
The researchers suspect that antimicrobial molecules called catechins present in green tea and, in lesser amounts in oolong tea, provide the benefit. But that sweetener may negate the effect, the team found.
Alfredo Morabia, of Columbia University in New York and editor of Preventive Medicine, says: ‘Green tea may have bacteriocidal effects, which would affect teeth, but only if you drink it without sugar.'
Yasushi Koyama, of the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, and his team looked at more than 25,000 Japanese men and women between age 40 and 64 in making the determination.
They found that men who drank at least one cup of tea a day were 19% less likely to have fewer than 20 teeth than those who did not drink green tea. Tea-drinking women had 13% lower odds.
Catechins have been shown to kill mouth bacteria associated with tooth decay and gum disease, so the researchers suspect this is what gives green tea its dental benefits.
Samuel Low, of the University of Florida College of Dentistry and President of the American Academy of Periodontology, says: ‘Previous research has indicated that regular consumption of green tea may lead to a lower instance of periodontal disease, a leading cause of tooth loss in adults.'
Referring to the systemic association between healthy teeth and gums and a healthy body, he adds: ‘That is why it is so important to find simple ways to boost periodontal health, such as regularly drinking green tea – something already known to possess certain health-related benefits.'
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