Green Tea and Periodontal Disease
March 5, 2009 Written by JP
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One of the first things you notice about someone is their smile. It gives you an indication about their mood, personality and quite frankly, their hygiene. But even more importantly, the mouth is the gateway to good nutrition. If we can’t chew properly, then we can’t fully digest our food. Modern science is also building case for the connection between poor periodontal (gum) health and heart disease. So it’s more important than ever to practice good oral care. In today’s blog, I’m going to share some information that can help keep gums and teeth in prime shape.
Putting the Tea in Teeth
A new Japanese study, published in the journal Periodontology, examines the role of green tea consumption and gum disease. In this particular survey, 940 middle-aged men were given a dental evaluation to determine if they had gum disease and if so, to what extent. The dentists performing the exams tested for three common indicators of gum disease: 1) probing depth; 2) clinical attachment loss; 3) bleeding on probing. All the volunteers also submitted dietary questionnaires that focused on beverage intake.
Once the questionnaires and dental exams were matched, a clear trend became apparent. The Japanese men who had better periodontal health were those who drank green tea on a daily basis. In fact, the higher the amount of green tea, the better the volunteers scored on the three dental tests.
The authors of the study theorized that catechins, a group of antioxidants in green tea, may act as natural anti-inflammatories. Gum disease is in part an inflammatory condition. By countering the inflammation, it’s possible that green tea disrupts the damage that would otherwise take place.
This is excellent news. But it isn’t the first time that science has shown an interest in green tea for oral health. All the way back in 2001, a review article in the Journal of Medical Microbiology postulated several reasons why green tea could bolster healthy teeth and gums. Here’s a brief overview of a few of the dental-friendly mechanisms ascribed to green tea:
- Green tea may directly fight bacteria responsible for gum disease (S. mutans and S. Sobrinus) and tooth decay.
- Green tea may help prevent harmful bacteria from adhering to the surface of teeth, the primary cause of cavity formation.
These positive effects plus the anti-inflammatory theory give us a solid basis for considering green tea as a valuable oral aid. The upside of drinking green tea regularly is that it also promotes good health in many other systems in our bodies. That’s a win-win situation, if you ask me.
Be well!
JP
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Tags: Dental Health, Green Tea
Posted in Dental Health
March 7th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
“GREEN tea for PINK gums and WHITE teeth”… i LOVE it~!! Thanks!
March 7th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Funny but true!
Be well!
JP
March 9th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
I don’t drink huge quantities of vit C fortified green tea like I used to. Now, I keep a pot of green tea with a piece of reishi mushroom. I use it to make porridge, soup, and hot cocoa, plus I take one green tea extract capsule.
My latest addition to my hot cocoa concoction is one teaspoon of piracetam.
March 9th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
That’s an excellent combination: green tea and reishi.
How’s the piracetam working out for you? Are you using it to support for cognitive support or as a general anti-aging supplement?
Be well!
JP
March 12th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Well, I’m so sharp now that Mitch insinuated that I was Dr Wombat.
March 12th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
I guess that’s one measure of success?
Be well!
JP
July 8th, 2010 at 9:47 am
Drinking green tea regularly can reduce your chances of developing periodontal disease due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Green tea contains an antioxidant that interferes with the inflammatory response associated with periodontal disease. Just one cup a day is all you need to improve your dental health and reduce your risk of periodontal disease.
September 12th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Inexperienced tea contains Antioxidants and Catechin that is a polyphenolic antioxidant very useful to fight the free radicals that are known to affect the aging method which influence general health in a negative way.
This drink contains additionally metilxantinas like caffeine, theobromine and theophylline which affect the lipolysis, i.e.the hydrolysis of lipids.
These substances will increase the metabolism and help to lose weight. Researchers of the University of Geneva in Switzerland found during a study that men who had been given a mixture of green tea extract and caffeine burned additional calories than those that had been given solely caffeine or a placebo.
I also added Vitamin E oil by cutting up the gel fashioned capsules. Turned out that, even though the Vit E oil was a bit sticky, when 15 minutes of masking, it kinda created my skin glow…. Luckily I didn’t run off from Vit E oil!
I like how the cold green tea feels on my skin. Its cooling (duh cos I took it out of fridge) and I enjoyed laundry my face with it.
I’m thinking of making an attempt out Green Tea + honey+ Aspirin mask next!
September 12th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Hi
i’ve got a question relating to disadvantages of green tea.
I’ve got heard that drinking too much inexperienced tea, can cause the fat around our eyes to dissolve.
I’ve got a cousin who drank 3 large cups of inexperienced tea everyday for a year so as to decrease triglycerid level of her blood.She succeeded in that however also the fat round her eyes disolved.Will that have to try and do with drinking an excessive amount of green tea?
I appreciate your reply.
September 12th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Terry,
I doubt that it would remove fatty deposits under the eyes. However, it may protect the kidneys. Puffy eyes may be the result of kidney stress in some instances.
Be well!
JP
June 12th, 2011 at 5:55 am
Tanks for helping me with my project and I also came to learn a new thing.
June 20th, 2011 at 7:09 am
I will include you in my project acknowledgment page
June 21st, 2011 at 10:44 pm
Thank you, Ishita. I wish you all the best on your project.
Be well!
JP