Archives of Oral BiologyVolume 57, Issue 5 , Pages 429-435, May 2012
Abstract
Green tea is a leading beverage in the Far East for
thousands of years; it is regarded for a long time as a health product.
Green tea is important source of polyphenol antioxidants. Polyphenols
including epigallocatechin 3 gallate (EGCG) constitute the most
interesting components in green tea leaves. Green tea has the potential
to protect against various malignant, cardiovascular and metabolic
diseases. There is a growing body of evidence pointing a beneficial role
of green tea and its polyphenols in oral health. Green tea protects
against bacterial induced dental caries. Tea polyphenols possess
antiviral properties, believed to help in protection from influenza
virus. Additionally, green tea polyphenols can abolish halitosis through
modification of odorant sulphur components. Oral cavity oxidative
stress and inflammation, consequent to cigarette smoking and cigarettes’
deleterious compounds nicotine and acrolein, may be reduced in the
presence of green tea polyphenols. Generally, green tea defends healthy
cells from malignant transformation and locally has the ability to
induce apoptosis in oral cancer cells. All together, there is an
increasing interest in the health benefits of green tea in the field of
oral health. Nonetheless, there is still a need for more clinical and
biological studies to support guidelines for green tea intake as part of
prevention and treatment of specific oral pathologies.
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