Article and link:
“Blast Biofilm this Winter: New Tulsi Holy Basil Benefits’
Summary: John Douillard, of John Douillard’s Lifespa, claims making tea using Tulsi Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum), breaks down the biofilm on your teeth that causes plaque. He says that the herb contains eugenol and ursolic acid. Both are known biofilm disruptors and powerful cleansers. He says ursolic acid is a quorum sensing inhibitor which enables the ability of the bacteria to communicate so that the biofilm is unable to form.
Connections: We spoke in class about ability of some bacteria to “talk’ to each other through quorum sensing and their ability to create biofilms through this. We also spoke about how these biofilms can be harmful or helpful depending on their location and the effects they have on the environment they have established themselves in.
Critical Analysis: While John Douillard has included science in his writing, and he does include scientific references for his information. Though in these studies they found there was no statistically significant difference between using regular store-bought mouth wash and Ocimum sanctum, they did find that using Ocimum sanctum was better than the studies that used a placebo. I am a bit skeptical because he wrote the article for his own business on his business page and there is a disclaimer at the bottom of his page that state “The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of John Douillard. They are not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, and they are not intended as medical advice. They are intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of John Douillard and his community. John Douillard encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.’ There is also a disclaimer stating that no part of the information on his page have been evaluated by the FDA. Though this does not mean he is not pushing other products that do not work and feeding off desperate people.
Question: If people can easily get mouth wash that scientifically works, breaking down the biofilm and inhibiting other biofilm (plaque) from forming, why bother going this route?
Leave a Reply