Drink your way to healthier a mouth, heart, brain, lungs and pancreas by the simple and pleasing act of drinking tea. Japanese microbiology scientists have uncovered the benefits of consuming Matcha green tea.
Gum disease is driven by belligerent bacteria that inhabit our mouths. One in particular is especially troublesome to gums, a little fellow known as P. gingivalis in the trade. Left to run riot, P. gingivalis leisurely strips teeth of their supporting gum and bone, envelopes teeth in puddles of pus and leaves them blowing in the wind.
Matcha tea was first grown in China and then more recently in Japan, where the variety has been super-cultivated to boost health. Matcha comes from the plant, Camellia sinensis. Its leaves are ground down to produce the luminescent green Matcha powder and when mixed with boiling water makes a slightly bitter tea with hints of sweetness and umami.
The scientists discovered that Matcha is P. gingivalis Kryptonite. It has the power to kill the microscopic chappies stone dead within two hours. Having the power to knock out these gum-gobbling bacteria has the potential to help people stabilise their gum health and keep teeth firm and gums a healthy pink. Eliminating any bad bacteria allows the friendly bacteria to go about their business and help our bodies maintain a healthy balance.
Alas, like all in life, fighting gum disease is not as simple as neutralising one bacterium. Many other microorganisms constantly interact with our immune systems trying to destabilise the gum and bone around our teeth.
However, anything that helps to promote healthy gums should be brought to the fore, especially if you are one of the 8% of us who suffer from severe gum disease and have the potential to lose teeth from as upsettingly young as 20 years old. Matcha teas have a higher caffeine content in them, they contain roughly the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, so all in moderation.
The health benefits of any tea are massively rocked when we start adding in shots of syrups which cause the sugar content of the drink to soar. So try to avoid adding the extras that will nullify the health benefits of your Matcha tea.
