Smile and Say ‘Cranberries’

02/01/2005

New research presented at the Cranberry Institute's Second Biennial Cranberry Health Research Symposium suggests cranberry juice may help prevent certain oral health problems, including diseases of the gums and teeth, reports Foodnavigator.com.

University of Rochester researcher Hyun Koo examined cranberry juice's ability to prevent Streptococcus mutans bacteria from sticking to teeth. If the bacteria cannot adhere, they cannot trigger the buildup of dental plaque that covers the teeth and leads to cavities and gum disease. In Koo's in-vitro study, two daily doses of a beverage containing 25 percent cranberry juice inhibited bacteria binding and accumulating to an artificial tooth surface by 67 to 85 percent.