Researchers
at the University of Illinois at Chicago say compounds found in tea can
stop bacteria that cause bad breath.
Polyphenols,
chemical components of tea, prevent the growth of bacteria responsible
for bad breath and the bacteria's production of odor compounds.
Bad breath --
or halitosis -- is caused by foul-smelling volatile sulfur compounds, like
hydrogen sulfide, produced by anaerobic bacteria that thrive in environments
lacking oxygen, such as the back of the tongue and deep gum pockets.
The researchers
say the results complement earlier findings that black tea suppresses the
growth of bacteria in dental plaque and that rinsing with black tea reduces
plaque formation and the production of acids that cause tooth decay.
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Copyright 2003 by United
Press International.
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