Tooth decay begins when the cavity bacteria on your teeth use sugar to make a polysaccharide called glucan.
Glucan creates plaque on the surface of the teeth, and the plaque allows the tooth decay bacteria to create acid, which punctures the teeth. This is how tooth decay forms in your mouth.
The catechins in green tea reduce the activity of the enzymes involved in the production of glucan as well as the growth of tooth decay.
The green tea has the dual effect of preventing tooth decay.
Also, the catechins in tea have a deodorizing effect.
The green tea also contains flavonols, a type of polyphenol, and chlorophyll, a green pigment, and these components are known to have deodorizing effects as well.
In Japan, this deodorizing effect is used to produce chewing gum that suppresses bad breath.
Drinking tea seems to be the right thing to do after eating something with a strong odor.
Chewing gum with tea extracts added to it is also an effective way to prevent tooth decay and bad breath.
The green tea extracts are also known to have antibacterial and bactericidal effects against pathogenic bacteria that cause food poisoning, such as cholera bacteria.
In Japan (and probably also out side of Japan)everyone drinks green tea when they eat sushi. We can think of it as an effective food poisoning prevention at a time when it was difficult to preserve raw food.
During the summer food poisoning season, green tea is an essential part of our diet.
Saponin, which is contained in green tea, is known to be effective in preventing colds.
Saponin has antibacterial and antiviral properties and is especially known to fight off the flu virus.
That is why gargling with tea is so effective when you have a cold.
Saponin means “foaming” in Greek, and plants containing saponin have been used as soap since ancient times.
Saponin is thought to be the main reason why Matcha tea becomes foamy, because of its presence and function.
Catechins are said to have a wide range of health benefits, from weight loss, blood pressure and blood sugar control to antibacterial and antiviral effects (to prevent influenza). The secret is thought to be due to two characteristics of catechins. The first is its strong adsorptive property. When taken in the mouth, it attaches to tooth decay bacteria, inhibiting their growth and preventing bad breath. When you gargle, it absorbs the “thorns” of viruses and prevents them from entering your body.