What if essentially the most highly effective, microbiome-friendly mouthwash wasn’t in a plastic bottle—however in your teacup?
I used to drink inexperienced tea for the antioxidants and a mild caffeine enhance. However I by no means thought-about what it is likely to be doing earlier than I swallowed it. Then I began digging into the oral microbiome analysis, which is the place I realized:
Inexperienced tea isn’t only a nice well being meals to your intestine and mind. It’s doing necessary work in your mouth, too.
I want extra folks knew this. Particularly those brushing twice a day, flossing religiously, and nonetheless battling bleeding gums, unhealthy breath, or mysterious cavities.
A Pure Prebiotic for Your Mouth
Most individuals consider inexperienced tea as antibacterial. And sure—it does inhibit the expansion of dangerous oral pathogens like P. gingivalis and F. nucleatum.
However inexperienced tea doesn’t simply kill unhealthy bugs. It feeds the nice ones.
Catechins like EGCG appear to help helpful micro organism like Streptococcus salivarius whereas gently suppressing pathogenic species. EGCG additionally helps saliva manufacturing and helps preserve a more healthy pH within the mouth—creating an surroundings much less pleasant to acid-loving micro organism like Streptococcus mutans. In different phrases, it acts extra like a prebiotic than a disinfectant.
That is essential, as a result of wiping out your complete oral microbiome (like with antiseptic mouthwash) could cause extra irritation, not much less.
Your Mind, Your Gums, Your Cup of Tea
You’ve heard me say it earlier than: the mouth is the gateway to the remainder of the physique. Oral pathogens like F. nucleatum don’t keep confined to the mouth. They’ve been discovered within the mind plaques of Alzheimer’s sufferers, in arterial partitions, and even the placentas of pregnant ladies.
Inexperienced tea has the potential to disrupt that chain. Not solely does it inhibit these microbes within the mouth, however EGCG crosses the blood-brain barrier and acts as a neuroprotectant. So sure—sipping inexperienced tea might decrease your danger of gum illness and help your long-term cognitive well being.
Inexperienced Tea > Mouthwash?
Most mouthwash—even “pure” ones—do extra hurt than good. (Click on right here to learn “Important Oils: The Unhealthy Ingredient In Your “Wholesome” Toothpaste)
Mouthwash nukes your microbiome, dries your tissues, and a few research have even linked each day use to hypertension.
Inexperienced tea, in contrast, is soothing, antimicrobial in a focused manner, and helps your mucosal barrier.
What the Analysis Reveals (and Why It Issues)
- In a number of Japanese cohort research, each day inexperienced tea drinkers had much less gum bleeding, tighter gum pockets, and more energizing breath.
- Inexperienced tea consumption, in some circumstances, had a larger impact on gum well being than flossing. (Don’t cease flossing—however perhaps begin sipping.)
- Catechins in inexperienced tea additionally assist neutralize risky sulfur compounds—the stuff answerable for unhealthy breath—with out wiping out helpful microbes like mouthwash does.
Steadiness Over Bombing: How Inexperienced Tea Tames Dangerous Micro organism
As an alternative of attempting to sterilize the mouth (which is neither attainable nor advisable), it gently weakens pathogenic biofilms and helps immune signaling.
In a world obsessive about killing micro organism, inexperienced tea reminds us that the purpose is feeding stability, not obliteration.
The place I Get My Inexperienced Tea (and Why I’m Choosy About It)
Within the Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s, my household drank iced tea on daily basis. We made it in large glass pitchers and stored it within the fridge. We at all times used the identical model from our native pure meals retailer. It tasted good with out sugar. It felt like a wholesome behavior. Actually, household and mates used to name it “Burhenne Tea” as a result of it was such a staple in our home. We drank it each day with out query—till I began questioning all the things.
Years later, I began digging into how tea is grown and processed.
That’s once I realized how contaminated many teas might be—with pesticides, heavy metals, even mildew.
It seems tea is without doubt one of the most chemically contaminated crops on this planet. And since tea leaves are dried, not washed, any residue left behind finally ends up instantly in your cup.
Even natural teas might be contaminated in the event that they’re processed alongside typical ones or grown in areas with poor laws. Most firms don’t check their tea—or in the event that they do, they don’t publish the outcomes. That’s a dealbreaker for me.
So now, I solely drink inexperienced tea that’s examined for toxins like heavy metals, mycotoxins, and pesticides. It has to come back from areas with strict agricultural requirements and provide third-party testing.
Right here’s the inexperienced tea I drink on daily basis. I maintain particular person packets in my bag and use them for each sipping and rinsing.
Inexperienced tea is one in all my favourite issues to advocate—as a result of in contrast to most oral well being habits, it doesn’t really feel like a chore. It’s gratifying. It has caffeine! You’ll be able to drink it scorching or iced. It helps your oral well being with out demanding self-discipline or including one other job to your day.
A Phrase of Warning: Defending Your Enamel
Right here’s one thing I see typically: folks sipping acidic drinks like inexperienced tea all day lengthy, considering they’re being wholesome—after which ending up with enamel erosion and sensitivity.
Inexperienced tea has a pH round 6-7, which isn’t horrible, however fixed sipping—particularly proper after brushing—can soften enamel. In contrast to kombucha, soda, or fruit juice—that are acidic and feed dangerous micro organism—inexperienced tea protects enamel, helps saliva, and doesn’t gasoline plaque. So right here’s get pleasure from it safely:
- Drink it with meals, not alone
- Rinse with water after ingesting
- Keep away from sipping for hours; shorter publicity is best
- If utilizing it as a rinse, do it earlier than brushing or at the least half-hour after. That is completely different from ingesting it—rinsing and spitting doesn’t bathe your enamel in acid the way in which sipping does
Not into inexperienced tea? That’s okay—this is only one of many instruments we’ll discover on this publication.
Why Inexperienced Tea Deserves a Spot in Your Oral Well being Routine
- Helps helpful micro organism, suppresses dangerous ones
- Disrupts harmful biofilms with out killing your complete microbiome
- Improves gum well being and breath
- Acts as a neuroprotectant by way of the oral-brain connection
- Can be utilized as a secure, pure rinse
I’d love to listen to from you: Do you’ve gotten a inexperienced tea ritual? Or one other stunning oral well being apply that’s labored for you? I learn each reply.
Hit reply and share. Or ahead this to somebody who might use slightly additional help of their oral well being journey.
Warmly,
Dr. B
P.S. What ought to I write about within the subsequent publication? Hit reply and let me know what matters you’re concerned with…