Dried fruits in cereal don’t damage teeth
Adding dried fruits to your cereal does not increase your risk of developing cavities, according to a new study.
Researchers discovered that adding fruits like raisins (with no added sugar) to cereal does not increase harmful cavity causing acids found in dental plaque.
Professor Christine Wu, who headed the team of boffins from the University of Illinois (UoI), said that some dentists believe that sticky foods like raisins cause cavities because it is harder to remove them from the surface of teeth but added that this was untrue.
The study examined children aged seven to 11 who consumed four food groups, raisins, bran flakes, a shop’s own-brand raisin bran cereal, and a home made mix of flakes and raisins (no added sugar), and recorded the difference in plaque build-up at intervals.
The UoI previously discovered that some natural compounds from dried fruit can actually hinder the growth of some oral bacteria which cause cavities.
Harmful bacteria thrive on acids that are converted from sugary substances that have clung to the surface of teeth. These bacteria can cause gum disease or cavities.
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