Jul 23, 2006

Cranberry Against Tooth Decay

Posted in Health at 12:00 am by David Bradley -- 2 Comments; add your comment

Cranberries have a special place in modern herbal folklore, the presence of antioxidant flavonoids in these tart but edible berries are thought to have antimicrobial activity. Now, US researchers have demonstrated that the extracts of the red fruit can prevent Streptococcus mutans, the bacterium responsible for dental caries, from having its wicked way with your teeth and so potentially halt tooth decay.

“We are not offering the solution for the elimination of dental caries,” team leader Hyun Koo of Rochester University told me, “but rather an alternative approach to help to reduce it.”

He adds that using cranberry or its food products for oral hygiene purposes is not recommended because they contain too much sugar (both natural and added) and are very acidic. However, “We have shown that there are some specific compounds that may help to reduce caries. The challenge is to find those that are biologically active. Then, we can think about one day using them in mouthwash or toothpaste,” he explains.

Read the full story in the Reactive Reports Summer Special