Green tea or oral care probiotics: Which is more effective?

When you drink green tea, are you doing your mouth any favors? Are you getting rid of bad breath? Is such a strategy any better than using oral care probiotics?

Unfortunately, there is little comparative research out there to tell you which side of the fence to come down on. However, considering the sometimes thin evidence marshaled in favor of green tea, it may be better to try to treat your bad breath with an Aktiv K-12 Probiotics Kit.

A recent article in the Journal of the Indian Society of Periodontology summarized the medical literature addressing the purported anti-halitosis effects of drinking green tea. The keys to most of these prior investigations are catechins, a group of compounds naturally found in green tea.

These molecules are antioxidants, which may interact with the DNA of the bacteria living in your mouth. Over time, consuming green tea may reduce oral odor related to periodontal disease, the study said. It added that these compounds may neutralize the "main cause of halitosis," methyl mercaptan.

Unfortunately, this latter effect isn't very useful. Numerous studies have indicated that the primary vehicle for bad breath is not methyl mercaptan but hydrogen sulfide, a volatile sulfur compound (VSC) associated with the smell of rotten eggs - and with your breath, to boot.

Oral care probiotics neutralize both VSCs, and specialty varieties usually eschew sodium lauryl sulfate, a canker sore-causing detergent.