As the weather cools down all over the country, you may find yourself trading in your cold water bottles for more warm beverages throughout the day. In terms of cosmetic dental health, it’s a given that coffee can stain teeth. You can surmise, then, that hot chocolate also has staining affects as well as being full of sugar – not the best recipe for healthy, attractive smiles. Green tea is linked to a multitude of health benefits, but does this ancient elixir do more harm or more good when it comes to your oral health?

Green Tea Gums

Scientific research was performed at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan with a focus on green tea consumption amongst middle-aged men. Dr. Yoshihiro Shimazaki headed the dental science research team in examining this specific demographic. Pin-pointing data from 940 participants, the scientists looked for signs of gum disease in conjunction with smoking and drinking habits, dental hygiene consistency, and each man’s green tea consumption. The odds of having periodontal disease proved much less in those participants who were regular green tea drinkers, most likely because of polyphenols which inhibit the growth of bacteria known for causing gum infections. Dr. Shimazaki stated that good oral care is the most important element for people to focus on, but that a supplemental lifestyle choice of adding antioxidant rich green tea to one’s diet could lead to better results at regular checkups.

More Green Tea Benefits

Green tea is also full of something called catechins. These compounds are more powerful than vitamins C and E when it comes to potentially staving off cellular damage as we age. Green tea consumption has been linked to reduced risk for heart disease, high cholesterol, several types of cancer, and high blood pressure. According to experts, drinking green tea at least three times a day is likely to yield dental health benefits. For the largest concentration of antioxidants, brew green tea fresh, and always drink it without added sugar.

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