A grapevine planted by the California Raisin Marketing Board provided enough buzz for the American Dental Association to look into the benefits of eating raisins. Sure enough, US researchers found a whole cluster of compounds that help fight tooth decay and gum disease.
Researchers identified five compounds, called phytochemicals, that are quite healthy for the teeth and gums.
“Our laboratory analyses showed that phytochemicals in this popular snack food suppress the growth of several species of oral bacteria associated with [tooth decay] and gum disease,” says researcher Christine D. Wu, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, who led the study.
Wu’s team found the phytochemicals in Thompson seedless raisins. The compounds are oleanolic acid, oleanolic aldehyde, betulin, betulinic acid and 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural. The compounds are antioxidants found in plants.
Oleanolic acid, in particular, retarded the growth of cavity and periodontal disease-causing bacteria. The acid also prevented the bacteria from sticking to the surface of teeth and gums.
Tooth decay is caused by sugary foods when the sugar is left on the teeth for a long period of time. Mouth bacteria feed on the sugar and produce acid that wears away tooth enamel.
The results of the study, funded by the California Raisin Marketing Board, were presented by Dr. Wu to the American Society for Microbiology in Atlanta.
