A scientific research has suggested that drinking green tea every day may help to prevent gum disease. This was part of the findings of a review of more than 20 studies on the beneficial role of green tea in cutting the risk of gum disease.
The study found that two to three cups of green tea daily had been linked to reduced periodontal disease. But many people shun tea, black or green, because they fear stained teeth.
Green tea is a type of tea that is made from ‘Camellia sinensis’ leaves that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process used to make oolong teas and black teas.
Green tea originated in China, but its production manufacture and consumption, especially for therapeutic purposes, had spread to many other countries of the world.
According to a specialist in periodontal health – the branch of dentistry concerned with gums and the other supporting structures of teeth – and Professor at People’s College of Dental Sciences in Bhopal, India, Dr. Babitha Nugala said that modest drinking of green tea seems to lower risk of gum disease by around 20 per cent.
He said: “Drinking green tea at meals is a relatively easy habit to maintain a healthy periodontium,” noting that research suggests antioxidants (such as polyphenols) in green tea may combat free radicals -substances believed to responsible for gum damage and other health problems.
“The healthful properties of green tea are largely attributed to polyphenols, chemicals with potent antioxidant properties,” Nugala notes.
“The antioxidant effects of polyphenols appear to be greater than those of Vitamin C. Polyphenols contained in teas are classified as catechins.” Furthermore, Nugala said Chinese epidemiological study found people who regularly drink green tea ‘reduce the risk of esophageal cancer by nearly 60 per cent.’ Periodontitis, also known as gum disease and pyorrhea, is a set of inflammatory diseases affecting the tissues surrounding the teeth.
Periodontitis involves progressive loss of the alveolar bone around the teeth, and if left untreated, can lead to the loosening and subsequent loss of teeth.
But Chairman of the Department of Oral and Lifespan Health at Australia’s Sydney University, Dr. Joerg Eberhard, warns that you can get too much of a good thing, when it comes to green tea.
“This doesn’t mean that if three cups of green tea are recommended, six are twice as good, because other research suggests frequent consumption of very large quantities can eventually be harmful,” notes Eberhard, a worldrenowned expert on periodontal disease.
“However, it makes sense to conclude a few cups of green tea every day to help prevent gum disease.” Periodontal disease has also been linked with an increased risk for many other seemingly unrelated illnesses, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, pregnancy complications and others, the ‘newsmax- Health’ reported.
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