Abstract: Routine consumption of green tea may help promote healthy teeth and gingivae, researchers report in the March issue of Journal of Periodontology.Investigators from Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan, analyzed the periodontal health of 940 men and found that those who drank green tea regularly had periodontal health superior to that of subjects who consumed less green tea.“It has [long] been speculated that green tea possesses a host of health benefits,” said Yoshihiro Shimazaki, PhD, Department of Preventive Dentistry.One dentist examined the men, aged 49 through 59 years, for three indicators of periodontal disease: periodontal pocket depth, clinical attachment loss and bleeding on probing. The researchers observed that for every cup of green tea consumed per day, a modest decrease occurred in all three indicators.Green tea's ability to help reduce symptoms of periodontal disease may be due to the presence of the antioxidant catechin. Previous research has demonstrated antioxidants’ ability to reduce inflammation in the body, and the indicators of periodontal disease measured in this study—pocket depth, clinical attachment loss and bleeding on probing—suggest the existence of an inflammatory response to periodontal bacteria in the mouth.By interfering with the body's inflammatory response to periodontal bacteria, green tea may promote periodontal health and ward off further disease.This research was supported by Grants-in-Aid of Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan, Tokyo, and by Kyushu University, Faculty of Dental Science. Routine consumption of green tea may help promote healthy teeth and gingivae, researchers report in the March issue of Journal of Periodontology. Investigators from Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan, analyzed the periodontal health of 940 men and found that those who drank green tea regularly had periodontal health superior to that of subjects who consumed less green tea. “It has [long] been speculated that green tea possesses a host of health benefits,” said Yoshihiro Shimazaki, PhD, Department of Preventive Dentistry. One dentist examined the men, aged 49 through 59 years, for three indicators of periodontal disease: periodontal pocket depth, clinical attachment loss and bleeding on probing. The researchers observed that for every cup of green tea consumed per day, a modest decrease occurred in all three indicators. Green tea's ability to help reduce symptoms of periodontal disease may be due to the presence of the antioxidant catechin. Previous research has demonstrated antioxidants’ ability to reduce inflammation in the body, and the indicators of periodontal disease measured in this study—pocket depth, clinical attachment loss and bleeding on probing—suggest the existence of an inflammatory response to periodontal bacteria in the mouth. By interfering with the body's inflammatory response to periodontal bacteria, green tea may promote periodontal health and ward off further disease. This research was supported by Grants-in-Aid of Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan, Tokyo, and by Kyushu University, Faculty of Dental Science.