Green Toothpaste?

Genesis 1:31
“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

As a child, Isao Kubo’s grandmother always told him to drink green tea after he ate something sweet. Later, as a University of California chemist, Kubo has shown that his grandmother’s advice was scientifically sound.

It’s been known for many years that tea can help fight dental cavities. A substance in the tea helps prevent the bacteria that cause cavities from latching onto the surface of a tooth. But researchers found that this effect was too small to make tea as effective as it is known to be in preventing cavities. This led scientists to continue their search for something else in tea that makes it so effective.

Kubo discovered that a class of molecules found in abundance in green tea actually kills the bacteria that cause cavities. Tests show that these natural chemicals, while harmless to us, are also able to kill at least two different kinds of molds, three yeasts and eight kinds of bacteria. It is effective against some of the bacteria that cause gastrointestinal disease and acne. However, you don’t have to drink green tea to take advantage of this powerful, natural cavity fighter. It is also found in coriander, sage, thyme, and is added to some ice creams, candy, chewing gum, and baked goods. Because of this research, we may someday find it in toothpaste.

One wonders whether, in the perfection that existed before sin, the creation was filled with many additional natural substances that prevented the health problems we experience today.

Prayer:
Father in heaven, I thank You for the work of those who are discovering the natural substances You have created to help keep us healthy. I pray that You would not allow my concerns about physical health make me lose sight of my need for spiritual health through the forgiveness of sins that was won for me by Your Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. Amen.

Notes:
Janet Raloff. 1992. “Another Reason to Drink Green Tea.” Science News, April 18, p. 253.