Cranberries Can Assist In Fighting Tooth Decay1

Specialists report that refreshing beautiful cranberries give us new leads on finding effective solutions for such dental problem as tooth decay. A group of scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, leaded by food scientist and microbiologist Dr. Hyun “Michel” Koo carried out a research and studied the negative effects of Streptococcus mutans on dental health, as well as tested a number of natural materials and foods in order to reveal their possible powers to fight these bacteria. The findings were quite interesting and it seems like the compounds which can possibly protect us from cavity formation were identified.
Dr. Koo says: “Natural substances offer tremendous possibilities for stopping tooth decay. Our time spent in the laboratory is aimed at harnessing the potential of some of these compounds, perhaps eventually incorporating them into a toothpaste or mouth rinse to stop dental decay.” The researches managed to discover that there are certain compounds namely A-type proanthocyanidins, which can be found in cranberries and can offer us an effective protection from tooth decay development. Though these compounds can not kill Streptococcus mutans bacteria but can block acid and glucan production, the most harmful activities of the bacteria.
The expert explains that the white sticky substance we all have on our teeth is just the best environment for bacteria growth, but the compounds in cranberry can make this environment quite unfavorable for bacteria. It is estimated that with the help of the compounds proanthocyanidins which can be extracted from cranberries, it can be possible to lower the risks of having dental cavities up to 40-45 per cent. In addition to that, the team of Dr. Koo has discovered similar polyphenols in red wine, which also contains good natural materials to use for extracting the compounds to fight Streptococcus mutans bacteria. However, do not drink too much of red wine in order to protect yourself from dental cavities.