- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Know Your Asthma Triggers
- Overweight Moms More Likely to Have Asthmatic Kids
- Keep Asthma, Allergies at Bay for the Holidays
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Acupuncture May Not Help Hot Flashes
- Garlic Yields Up Its Health Secret
- Health Tip: Anticipating Acupuncture
- ANIMAL CARE
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- Beware of Dog Bites
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- BONES & JOINTS
- Backpack Safety Should Be on Back-to-School Lists
- Get in Step With Summer Foot Care
- Gene Therapy May Ease Rheumatoid Arthritis
- CANCER
- Adding Garlic Might Cut Cancer Risk
- No Verdict Yet on Grape Seed Extract vs. Breast Cancer
- Massage Therapy Helps Those With Advanced Cancer
- CAREGIVING
- Child's Food Allergies Take Toll on Family Plans
- Recession Scrambling Health Spending in U.S.
- 3 Steps Might Help Stop MRSA's Spread
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Firefighters Have Narrower-Than-Normal Arteries, Study Finds
- Secondhand Smoke Quickly Affects Blood Vessels
- Grapefruit-Heavy Diet Helped Spur Dangerous Clot
- COSMETIC
- With Psoriasis, the Internet May Offer Hope
- What to Do If You Have Unsightly Veins
- Gum Chewing May Cut Craving for Snacks
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Gum Disease Treatment Doesn't Cut Preterm Birth Risk
- Acupuncture May Ease Anxiety Over Dental Work
- Gum Disease May Reactivate AIDS Virus
- DIABETES
- Brown Rice Bests White for Diabetes Prevention
- Diabetes Linked to Cognitive Problems
- 'Standard' Glucose Test May Be Wrong One for Obese Children
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Quick Weight Loss May Be Best for Long-Term Success
- More Whole Grains May Mean Less Fat
- Brown Rice Tied to Better Heart Health in Study
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Greener Neighborhoods Mean Slimmer Children
- Is It Safe to Go in the Gulf Coast's Water?
- 1976 Italian Dioxin Release Damaged Babies' Thyroids
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Guard Kids' Eyes Against Long-Term Sun Damage
- Magnetic Pulses to Brain Improve Lazy Eye in Adults
- Retinal Gene Is Linked to Childhood Blindness
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Peppermint Oil, Fiber Can Fight Irritable Bowel
- Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease
- New Yogurt May Ease Stomach Ulcers
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Vitamin D and Bone Health: Are You Getting Enough of This Important Vitamin?
- Research Shows Genetic Activity of Antioxidants
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- E-Mailing Your Way to Healthier Habits
- The Internet Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
- Subway Defibrillators Save Lives
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Vigorous Exercise Cuts Stroke Risk for Men, Not Women
- Polyunsaturated Fats Really May Lower Heart Risk
- Toothbrushing May Stave Off Heart Woes
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Swine Flu Is Now a Pandemic Says W.H.O.
- Bacterial Infections May Succumb to Honey
- Older Adults May Have Some Immunity to Swine Flu
- KID'S HEALTH
- Health Tip: Back Pain in Children
- Play Creatively as a Kid, Be a Healthier Adult
- Help Your Kids Stay Active
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Noise Hurts Men's Hearing More, Study Shows
- Whole Grains, Bran May Fight Hypertension in Men
- More Vitamin C May Mean Less Chance of Gout
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Have a Goal in Life? You Might Live Longer
- The Unmedicated Mind
- Vitamin C Protects Some Elderly Men From Bone Loss
- PREGNANCY
- Pregnant Women Exposed To Certain Pollutants Could Lower Childs IQ
- Alternative Treatments May Boost IVF Success
- For Baby and Mom Alike, Breast-Feeding May Be Best
- SENIORS
- For Older Walkers, Faster Is Better
- Video Gaming Just Might Fight Aging
- Keeping Mentally Active Seems To Keep The Brain Active
Gummy Bears Join Cavity Fight
By eHolistic.com Published: 07/24/2008
THURSDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- Gummy bears with the sugar substitute xylitol may help prevent tooth decay in children, according to a U.S. study.
Researchers gave children four xylitol-sweetened gummy bears three times a day during school hours. After six weeks, there were significant reductions in the levels of harmful mutans streptococci (MS) bacteria in the children's plaque. MS is known to cause tooth decay.
Xylitol, a naturally-occurring sugar alcohol that's frequently used as a sweetener, has been shown to reduce levels of MS. Xylitol chewing gums are available but aren't considered suitable for younger children.
"For xylitol to be successfully used in oral health promotion programs amongst primary school children, an effective means of delivering xylitol must be identified. Gummy bears would seem to be more ideal than chewing gum," research leader Kiet A. Ly, of the University of Washington, said in a BioMed Central news release.
"Based on our findings, it is feasible to develop a clinical trial of a gummy-based (cavity) prevention program. Such a study is now being carried out in the East Cleveland primary school district," Ly said.
The findings were published in the journal BMC Oral Health.
More information
The American Dental Association has more about tooth decay.
-- Robert Preidt
SOURCE: BioMed Central, news release, July 24, 2008
Last Updated: July 24, 2008
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