From University of Illinois at Chicago Tea fights bad breath
Compounds found in tea can stop the growth of bacteria that
cause bad breath, according to researchers at the University of
Illinois at Chicago. Polyphenols, chemical components of tea,
prevent both the growth of bacteria responsible for bad breath
and the bacteria's production of malodorous compounds, the UIC
researchers found. The findings were presented today at the
annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in
Washington, D.C. by Christine Wu, professor of periodontics and
associate dean for research at the UIC College of Dentistry, and
research associate Min Zhu. Bad breath -- or halitosis --
afflicts a large portion of the population. It 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. In the laboratory study, Wu and Zhu incubated tea
polyphenols with three species of bacteria