Israeli researchers investigating green tea’s polyphenol antioxidants report green tea could have the ability to protect against bacterial-induced dental cavities.
According to the Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin (Jan. 26), the polyphenols in green tea also possess antiviral properties, which could help protect against the influenza virus that often enters through the mouth or nasal cavities. Additionally, green tea polyphenols can be used as a natural remedy to treat bad breath. The sulfur compounds in green tea are thought to be responsible for its breath freshening effect.
Smokers could also benefit from drinking green tea. The article also reports that green tea has an ability to defend healthy cells from being transformed into malignant cells. The research team in the original study suggests that green tea could help induce death in oral cancer cells.
Source: Narotzki, B., et al., “Green tea: Apromising natural product in oral health,” Arch.Oral. Biol., Jan. 5, 2012.
