Drinking coffee regularly helps prevent tooth decay, new research finds

According to foreign media reports, scientists have found that some chemicals in coffee may help prevent bacteria from growing on the surface of teeth, thereby preventing tooth decay.

Tooth decay is the decay of teeth, which is largely affected by our way of life. Tooth decay is more common in children, but adults can also suffer from tooth decay. Tooth decay can be divided into two types, one is coronal tooth decay, which is the most common type of tooth decay, usually located between the chewing surfaces of teeth or between teeth; the other is root decay, where the gums begin to decay with age, and some of the roots will be exposed. If the root loses the protection of enamel, the exposed part is easy to be eaten.

Scientists from the University of Ancona in Italy used synthetic tooth surfaces to soak in a solution with a composition similar to human saliva. Chlorogenic acid, nicotinic acid and trigonelline in coffee can prevent Streptococcus mutans, which causes tooth decay, from attaching to artificial teeth.

Scientists say trigonelline is the main source of the bitter taste of coffee and may be the most effective ingredient in coffee to prevent the attachment of bacteria, while caffeine has little effect. This study helps to understand the relationship between diet and tooth decay. However, some experts believe that the plaque structure formed by bacteria is not the same in real teeth and synthetic teeth in solution, and further experiments are needed to confirm whether coffee has an anti-moth effect on real teeth.