Digested coconut oil is a natural
antibiotic that may help to fight tooth decay, say scientists from the
Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland.
The
scientists presented their data at the Society for General
Microbiology’s Autumn Conference taking place this week at the
University of Warwick.
Streptococcus
bacteria are common inhabitants of the mouth, and so the team tested
the antibacterial action of coconut oil against strains of this
bacteria.
Two versions of
coconut oil were used in the study: coconut oil in its natural state and
coconut oil that had been treated with enzymes, in a process similar to
digestion.
Previous
studies have shown that partially digested foodstuffs are active against
micro-organisms, and the researchers’ earlier work on enzyme-modified
milk showed that it was able to reduce the binding of S. mutans to tooth
enamel, which prompted the group to investigate the effect of other
enzyme-modified foods on bacteria.
As
hypothesized, only the enzyme-modified coconut oil strongly inhibited
the growth of most strains of Streptococcus bacteria including
Streptococcus mutans – an acid-producing bacterium that is a major cause
of tooth decay.
Enzyme-modified
coconut oil could be incorporated into commercial dental care products
as a natural antimicrobial, said Dr. Damien Brady who is leading the
research.
source:http://www.asianscientist.com/health-medicine/enzyme-digested-coconut-oil-fight-tooth-decay-2012/
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