If there’s one thing you should know about gum disease it’s this: it’s not just a “mouth” problem.

Unhealthy gums have been linked to weight gain, lung infections, heart failure, brain shrinkage and prostate trouble.

And this one may shock you: Poor oral health is one of the ten leading causes of loss of healthy longevity!

Luckily, there’s a new hero on the horizon to put a stop to those risks, by pulling the plug on the bacteria responsible for the disease in the first place — and it already has an impressive reputation as an anti-aging superfood…

Green tea on steroids

The hero is matcha — a supercharged green tea made from the raw leaves of the Camellia sinensis green tea plant.

In fact, much of the amazing benefits of matcha come from the fact that it has 137 times more antioxidants than regular green tea.

That means 137 times more free-radical scavenging, inflammation-fighting and anti-aging power — in one little cup!

And that could be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to matcha especially when you consider that simple green tea extract can stop the growth of dangerous germs like E. coli.

It’s even been shown to keep P. gingivalis (the bacteria responsible for gum disease) from growing and reduce its adherence to the epithelial cells in the mouth.

Matcha versus gum disease

Researchers in Japan decided to put matcha to the test against P. gingivalis in a two-step test to determine the winner.

First, they pitted a matcha solution against 16 oral bacterial species, including three strains of P. gingivalis.

The matcha mouthwash showed little activity against healthy strains of oral bacteria. This is good news because regular mouthwash, like what you get at the drugstore, damages the oral microbiome by killing good bacteria in your mouth responsible for health-promoting processes.

But within 2 hours, nearly all the cultured P. gingivalis cells had been killed. After four hours of exposure, all the gum disease-causing germs were dead.

Next, the researchers recruited 45 people with chronic periodontitis, randomly assigning them to three groups.

One group used barley tea mouthwash, the second was given a mouthwash made from matcha extract and the third went with a prescription mouthwash for inflammation.

And after analysis, the matcha mouthwash users were the clear winners…

The analysis revealed that patients in the group that used matcha mouthwash showed a significant reduction in the level of P. gingivalis compared to the two other groups.

Raise a cup for a healthy mouth

So if you’re ready to fight off gum disease, consider ditching your traditional mouthwash and trying matcha instead.

You could make it a habit to sip a cup or two during your day, or even allow it to cool and swish it around your teeth and gums.

Matcha is easy to find both online and in grocery stores. It’s typically a powdered tea you whisk into hot water.

It’s definitely worth a try. Some holistic dentists even say, that according to studies, it may protect teeth from erosion and reverse tooth decay.

In addition to adding matcha to your oral care routine, follow these 6 steps to reduce your risk for gum disease naturally.

Sources:

Matcha mouthwash inhibits bacteria that causes periodontitis — EurekAlert!

Green Tea and Your Teeth: How Matcha Improves Oral Health — Rejuvenation Health