Saliva Protects Against Toxins in Coffee Tea

Saliva Protects Against Toxins in Coffee, Tea

More than half of American adults drink at least a cup of coffee or tea every day. The negative effects of plant chemicals found in coffee, tea, and other foods and flavorings on oral and systemic health, however, are not well understood. Scientists at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore delved deeper into the subject and discovered that these plant chemicals actually break DNA strands throughout the body, causing serious damage. Their findings were published in the paper “Salivary ?-amylase, Serum Albumin, and Myoglobin Protect Against DNA-Damaging Activities of Ingested Dietary Agents In Vitro” online in May in Food and Chemical Toxicology.

Previous research efforts revealed that toxins found in common foods and flavorings possess an ability to produce damage to the body that is more than 20 times greater than that of chemotherapy drugs. Knowing this, the team sought to understand why individuals who drink coffee and tea do not experience a higher incidence of bodily damage from these toxins. What they found was surprising—the saliva enzyme alpha-amylase, the blood protein albumin, and the muscle protein myoglobin seemingly protected the body’s cells from DNA breakage.

The researchers reported that after 2 weeks, whether due to evolution or resistance, the cells became less susceptible to toxin damage—even if damaged by the exact chemical weeks prior. Results showed that the cells were able to defend themselves against the damage, even when albumin, muscle proteins, or saliva components were not present.

More extensive clinical trials are planned to better understand how albumin, myoglobin, and alpha-amylase protect cells against such chemicals. The researchers also plan to study how these natural defenses might be circumvented in some people, resulting in the development of cancer and other health problems.

Hygiene Connection E-Newsletter

August 2014