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Study finds green tea good for gums
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Green tea rose to fame on the U.S. market in large part due to its antioxidant power and its potential to spur weight loss, but a new study suggests it might also help prevent periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth. What is perhaps more worrisome, however, is that periodontal disease has been associated with the progression of other diseases, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Writing in the Journal of Periodontology, researchers from Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan analyzed the periodontal health of 940 men between the ages of 49 and 59 and found that those who reported regularly drinking green tea had healthier teeth and gums than their peers who consumed less green tea. Specifically, the researchers note that for every one cup of green tea consumed per day, there was a decrease in all three indicators of periodontal disease: periodontal pocket depth, clinical attachment loss of gum tissue, and bleeding on probing of the gum tissue.
The researchers speculate that the gum health enhancing benefits are due to the presence of the antioxidant catechin, which could interfere with the body’s inflammatory response to the bacteria associated with periodontal disease and may even help prevent further periodontal problems.
Beyond the issue of gum disease, periodontists believe that maintaining good oral health is essential for good overall health. Based on these findings, the president of the American Association of Periodontists and the Chair of the Department of Periodontics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio suggests that people increase their consumption of green tea as an easy, effortless method to improve periodontal health.
For more info:
Journal of Periodontology Online - Green Tea Study
Mark's Daily Apple - To Tea or Not to Tea?
Journal of Periodontology Online - Green Tea Study
Mark's Daily Apple - To Tea or Not to Tea?
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