Briefs

Natural Foods Merchandiser, February, 2008 by Anonymous

Cucuburro may be switching trees

Known for its richly scented white blossoms, the magnolia tree (Magnolia officinalis) may also help keep teeth clean and bad breath at bay. A study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry (Nov. 2007) found that when extracts from the tree's bark were introduced to bacteria that cause bad breath, after five minutes 99 percent of the bacteria were killed. The researchers also found that when human subjects were given mints containing the same bark extracts, they experienced a 62 percent reduction in salivary bacteria after 30 minutes and a 43 percent reduction after 40 minutes of chewing magnolia-spiked gum. The botanical extracts also were effective in killing germs that cause cavities. The study was funded by gum giant...