Cranberry juice prevents teeth cavities

Beat cavities by drinking cranberry juice

New York: Next time round when you have a toothache, visiting a dentist may not be the only remedy available to you, with a recent research revealing that cranberry juice contains compounds which fight against bacteria responsible for causing cavities. The research, led by oral biologist Dr Hyun Koo of the University of Rochester Medical Center, found that the compounds present in cranberry juice do not allow the cavity causing microbe, Streptococcus mutans, to stick on tooth surfaces, thus protecting the tooth. It also found that compounds present in the juice can also prevent the formation of plaque by disrupting the formation of its building block glucan. Dr Koo said that cranberry juice had properties which inhibited the enzymes and stopped additional bacteria from thriving and causing decay in teeth. "Something in the cranberry juice disarms the pathogens that cause tooth decay," he said.

Cranberry juice, is already well known for its medicinal qualities as a preventor of urinary tract infection as it stops bacteria from sticking to the surface of the bladder thus preventing infection. Dr Koo says that scientists now believe that the same principle applies when it comes to preventing tooth decay. "Scientists believe that one of the main ways that cranberries prevent urinary tract infections is by inhibiting the adherence of pathogens on the surface of the bladder. Perhaps the same is true in the mouth, where bacteria use adhesion molecules to hold onto teeth," he said. However, the biologist is quick to warn people not to start guzzling juice because store bought cranberry juice contains sugar, which in turn is an agent of decay, and that the natural acidity of the substance may also contribute directly to tooth decay. He further warns that scientists are working to isolate the compounds within the juice that prevent decay, so that they can eventually be added to toothpaste or mouth rinse.
-Nov 25, 2005