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According to estimates, nearly 80 percent of the adult population in the United States is affected by some form of gum disease. Many culprits have been identified as causing gum disease, but the American Academy of Periodontology has recently focused its attention on inflammation, a factor in many chronic conditions.
A new study from Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan, however, suggests that green tea, long considered a detoxifier and cure-all in Asian cultures, may be just what the dentist ordered for helping maintain healthy teeth and gums.
Published in the Journal of Periodontology, the epidemiological study looked at the gum health of 940 men, ages 49 to 59, by assessing three periodontal standards: pocket depth, clinical attachment loss of gum tissue and incidence of gum tissue bleeding from probing.
Lead author Yoshihiro Shimazaki noted that men who regularly drank green tea had superior periodontal health when compared to their peers who drank less of the traditional brew. For every cup of green tea consumed per day, there was a modest decrease in the mean measurement of each of the key indicators: periodontal pocket depth (0.023 mm), clinical attachment loss of gum tissue (0.028 mm) and incidence of bleeding (0.63%).
Previous in vitro studies have shown that green tea’s abundant polyphenol antioxidants, known as catechins, inhibit the growth and adherence of periodontal bacteria. The research team proposed that the same antioxidant action may suppress the body’s inflammatory response to bacteria in the mouth, thereby discouraging gum disease.
Source: Mitoshi Kushiyama, Y. Shimazaki, M. Murakami, Y. Yamashita, Journal of Periodontology
2009, Volume 80, No. 3,
“Relationship Between Intake of Green Tea and Periodontal Disease,”
pages 372-377.
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