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Coconut oil combats tooth decay
Monday September 03, 2012 12:57:06 PM,
IANS
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London: Coconut oil is
a natural antibiotic that attacks the bacteria causing tooth
decay. It could be incorporated into commercial dental care
products, say scientists.
Researchers from the Athlone Institute of Technology, Ireland,
tested the antibacterial action of coconut oil in its natural
state and coconut oil that had been treated with enzymes, in a
process similar to digestion.
They found that enzyme-modified coconut oil strongly inhibited the
growth of most strains of Streptococcus bacteria which commonly
inhabit the mouth, including Streptococcus mutans - an acid -
producing bug that is a major cause of tooth decay.
Damien Brady who is leading the research at Athlone, said: "Dental
carries is a commonly overlooked health problem affecting 60-90
percent of children and the majority of adults in industrialised
countries."
Additional testing by the Athlone Institute found that
enzyme-modified coconut oil was also harmful to the yeast Candida
albicans that can cause thrush.
Researchers suggest that enzyme-modified coconut oil has potential
as a marketable antimicrobial which could be of particular
interest to the oral health care industry, according to an Athlone
statement.
"Incorporating enzyme-modified coconut oil into dental hygiene
products would be an attractive alternative to chemical additives,
particularly as it works at relatively low concentrations. Also,
with increasing antibiotic resistance, it is important that we
turn our attention to new ways to combat microbial infection,"
added Brady.
These findings were presented at the Society for General
Microbiology's Autumn Conference at the University of Warwick, UK.
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