Cranberry juice is generally known for its tart flavor, but recent research suggests that unsweetened cranberry juice may also benefit oral health. Scientists have found that brief exposure to pure cranberry juice can reduce the regrowth and acid production of bacteria in dental plaque, which might cause new research into cavity prevention.
Cranberry blends and other drinks may have a future in dentistry, study finds UIC researchers found that some commercial cranberry products altered how dental plaque functioned in kids and adults. A new study finds that substances in some fruit blends might be able to alter the behavior of microbes in the mouth, but more studies are required.
Dental plaque is a soft, sticky film of bacteria that naturally develops on your teeth. If you eat or drink foods and beverages that contain fermentable sugars, plaque bacteria may turn those sugars into acid. The more often plaque bacteria make acid, the greater the chance that acid can harm your teeth.
Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins, a type of polyphenol that has drawn scientific attention for its possible influence on bacterial activity and biofilm formation.
The scientists also sought to establish that drinking pure cranberry juice could impact on the behaviour of naturally occurring plaque bacteria within the mouth. Instead of evaluating single compounds in vitro, in the laboratory, the scientists used available drinks to explore the impact on people.
In plaque samples, the researchers observed less growth of bacteria and acid formation in the presence of sugar-free cranberry juice. The study indicates that substances in cranberry juice may influence the caries formation process. More research is needed to confirm this.
Participants were assigned different test beverages, including unsweetened 100% cranberry juice, a cranberry juice cocktail containing 27% juice and added sugar, and water. Researchers collected dental plaque samples before exposure and again approximately 30 minutes after participants rinsed with and consumed their assigned beverages.
The samples were then tested using the Plaque Glycolysis and Regrowth Method, a test that assesses bacterial regrowth and acid development.
In adults, plaque samples treated with pure cranberry juice demonstrated a mean reduction of approximately 44% in regrowth of bacteria afterward than before exposure. In children, the mean reduction was about 33%.
The research team also noted decreased acid production for the exposed samples. Neither the sweetened cranberry cocktail nor water demonstrated a statistically significant reduction.
One of the best findings we discovered was the contrast between pure cranberry juice and the sweetened cranberry cocktail.
Both drinks contained cranberry ingredients, but only the unsweetened juice much affected plaque regrowth and acid production in this test group. The sugar added to the cocktail may have been an effect, but our study was not set up to determine the exact reason why the drinks had different effects.
This is important because many cranberry juice drinks and cocktails sold commercially have only added sugar, and not much actual cranberry juice.
