Raisins and Gum Disease

It was believed that the sweet and sticky foods, such as raisins, would cause plaque formation and could damage your dental health a great deal. According to research at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, that may not be the case.Dr. Christine Wu, the lead author on the study, said "Raisins are perceived as sweet and sticky, and any food that contains sugar and is sticky is assumed to cause cavities. But our study suggests the contrary. Our laboratory analyses showed that phytochemicals in this popular snack food suppress the growth of several species of oral bacteria associated with caries and gum disease"Dr. Wu and her team performed a routine chemical analyses and identified five phytochemicals in Thompson seedless raisins: oleanolic acid, oleanolic aldehyde, betulin, betulinic acid, and 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural.These phytochemicals inhibited the growth of two species of oral bacteria: Streptococcus mutans, which is known to cause cavities, and Porphyromonas gingivalis, which can cause periodontal disease. With concentrations ranging from 200 to 1,000 micrograms per milliliter the phytochemicals were effective against the bacteria.Eating raisins also has many other health benefits, such as stronger immunity, lower chances of suffering from insomnia and lower risks of having heart disease.


To Your Health!

John Hall NSCA-CPT