A new study from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry has found that a glass of milk after a sugary cereal meal reduces plaque acid levels and prevents cavities.
Sugary cereal is the quickest breakfast meal for those on-the-run. But daily consumption of these sugar sweetened cereals may lead to dental cavities. A new study has found a way to prevent dental decay by spending just an extra minute during meals. Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry have learnt that a glass of milk holds the key to prevent cavities that are formed due to sugary cereals.
Lead researcher Christine Wu, professor of pediatric dentistry and director of cariology, said that the sugary cereals contain refined sugar and starch. Consumption of these carbohydrates leads to increased plague acid levels, causing cavities.
For this study, Shilpa Naval, Wu's former graduate student and who now works for CDC in Atlanta, included 20 adult participants who consumed 20 grams of dry Froot Loops cereal followed by different drinks including milk, apple juice and tap water. Researchers measured the plague acid levels using a microelectrode before and two and five minutes after the meal. Acidity (pH) levels were again measured after 2-30 minutes after drinking one of the three beverages. Higher the pH levels, greater the chances of developing cavities.
"Our study results show that only milk was able to reduce acidity of dental plaque resulting from consuming sugary Froot Loops," Naval, said in a statement. "We believe that milk helped mitigate the damaging effect of fermentable carbohydrate and overcome the previously lowered plaque pH."
Wu also warned that consuming cereals mixed with milk followed by a fresh juice causes greater cavities. And consuming cereals with milk does not reduce the pH levels to as much as it does separately.
"If understood and implemented properly, food sequencing can be used as a public health educational tool to maintain and preserve good oral health," Naval concluded.
The research is published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.