Open AccessGreen tea: A boon for periodontal and general health
Author(s) -
Anirban Chatterjee,
Mini Saluja,
Gunjan Agarwal,
Mahtab Alam
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of indian society of periodontology (print)/journal of indian society of periodontology (online)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.309
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 0975-1580
pISSN - 0972-124X
DOI - 10.4103/0972-124x.99256
Subject(s) - green tea , catechin , medicine , health benefits , green tea extract , antioxidant , epigallocatechin gallate , limiting , traditional medicine , polyphenol , dentistry , food science , biochemistry , chemistry , mechanical engineering , engineering
Green tea is particularly rich in health-promoting flavonoids (which account for 30% of the dry weight of a leaf), including catechins and their derivatives. The most abundant catechin in green tea is epigallocatechin-3-gallate, which is thought to play a pivotal role in the green tea's anticancer and antioxidant effects. Catechins should be considered right alongside of the better-known antioxidants like vitamins E and C as potent free radical scavengers and health-supportive for this reason. It has been suggested that green tea also promotes periodontal health by reducing inflammation, preventing bone resorption and limiting the growth of certain bacteria associated with periodontal diseases.