Through the years, tea consumption has been associated with good health, and some publications are related to oral health. The bioactive components of green tea are thought to be able to influence the process of caries formation through inhibition of proliferation of the streptococcal agent, interference with the process of bacterial adhesion to tooth enamel, and inhibition of glucosyl transferase and amylase; however, little is known about black tea and oral health. The aim of the present in-vitro study was to determine the inhibitory activity of a novel, patent-pending and proprietary blend of green and black tea aqueous extracts on Streptococcus mutans, a bacterium widely associated with plaque development and tooth decay. A minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 12.5 mg/mL and a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 12.5 mg/mL was established against S. mutans, meaning that at concentrations of 12.5 mg/mL and higher, the proprietary tea blend is effective against the growth of S. mutans. This MIC concentration is lower than the ones reported in the literature for alcoholic black tea and green tea extracts tested separately. As a promising natural ingredient for oral health, this finding is a good indicator for the use of this proprietary blend of black and green tea water extracts.

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Epidemiological and intervention studies suggest that lutein may act as a nutritional factor able to modulate visual performance as well as the processes implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of degenerative eye diseases. Since lutein cannot be synthesised by the body, and daily dietary consumption is generally below the level of intake found to be beneficial in clinical studies, increased consumption – through diet or supplementation ߝ is recommended. The prerequisites for lutein to benefit the eye are: release from the food or food supplement matrix in which it is included; absorption by the intestinal cell; presence in adequate concentrations in serum; and deposition of serum lutein into the macula of the eye. Not all lutein ingredients are alike so, when recommending eye supplements to patients, in addition to looking for safe products, it is critical to ensure that the lutein ingredient used is absorbed properly by the body and has proven its efficacy in clinical trials.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are oxycarotenoids that are naturally present in the typical human diet. They are the only two dietary carotenoids selectively deposited in the macula lutea, where they are referred to as the macular pigment (MP), and in the eye lens. The rationale for the protective role of lutein in the eye stems from its ability to filter short wavelengths of visible blue light, function as an antioxidant and stabilise membrane integrity. These functions are believed to play an important role in reducing light-induced oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen intermediates and involved in the pathogenesis of age-related degenerative disease such as age-related macular degeneration and cataract. Recent research is now paying particular attention to the blue-light-filtering properties of lutein and zeaxanthin and to the role of MP in improving visual performance.

Extensive research has described the biological and optical characteristics of the macular pigment (MP) and has confirmed its composition and dietary origin. Epidemiological and intervention trials support the protective role of MP in the retina as well as its positive effects on visual function in healthy individuals in addition to patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The amount of MP in the macula can be assessed by measuring a surrogate optical indicator, macular pigment optical density (MPOD). New evidence from recently published clinical trials and a European consensus roundtable have confirmed that MPOD can be increased by increasing the ingestion of lutein and zeaxanthin and that MPOD increase benefits macular health and visual function. On balance, this recent evidence suggests a critical role of MP in eye health as well as the importance of assessing if adequate levels of the dietary macular carotenoids are regularly consumed in order to ensure proper availability for deposition into the macula.