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| Natural yoghurt
beats bad
breath | |
Sugarless yoghurt could help beat bad
breath, tooth decay and gum disease, say scientists.
Japanese researchers found eating the yoghurt reduced levels of hydrogen sulphide - a major cause of
bad breath - in 80% of volunteers.
The key are active bacteria in yogurt, specifically Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus.
Details were presented at a meeting of the International Association
for Dental Research.
A total of 24 volunteers who took part in the study were given strict
instructions on oral hygiene, diet and medication intake.
They spent two weeks avoiding yoghurts and similar foods, like cheese.
Researchers then took saliva and tongue coating samples to measure
bacteria levels and odour-causing compounds, including hydrogen sulphide.
The volunteers then ate 90 grams of yoghurt a day for six weeks.
At the end of the study, researchers took samples again. They found
hydrogen sulphide levels decreased in 80% of participants.
Levels of plaque and the gum disease gingivitis were also significantly
lower among yoghurt eaters.
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health
Foundation, said: "The foundation has long been drawing people's attention
to sugar-free yoghurts as a healthy snack, so it is pleasing to hear that
it may have oral health benefits we were previously unaware of.
"Frequent consumption of sugary snacks is the principal cause of tooth
decay, which can cause a great deal of pain and discomfort.
"Although this research is still in the early stages there is no doubt
that sugar-free yoghurts provide a much healthier alternative to sweets
and chocolate, and we would encourage snackers to incorporate them into
their diet."
One in four people suffer from bad breath regularly, while 19 in 20 are
affected by gum disease at some point in their lives.
However, Dr Carter stressed that the best way to beat bad breath was by
adopting a good oral health routine. This involves brushing twice-a-day
with fluoride toothpaste, cutting down on the frequency of sugary snacks
and drinks, flossing daily and
visiting a dentist regularly.
（Agencies) |
科學(xué)家們發(fā)現(xiàn)，無(wú)糖酸奶有助于減輕口腔異味、蛀牙和牙齦疾病。
日本研究者們發(fā)現(xiàn)多喝酸奶可以減少80%的受試者體內(nèi)的硫化氫含量，而硫化氫是口腔異味的主要誘因。
酸奶有助于緩解口臭的關(guān)鍵在于酸奶里的活性細(xì)菌，尤其是乳酸菌和喜溫的鏈球菌。
詳細(xì)的研究結(jié)果是在國(guó)際牙科研究協(xié)會(huì)的一次會(huì)議上公布的。
共有24名志愿者參與了這項(xiàng)研究，研究者們?cè)诳谇恍l(wèi)生、飲食和藥物服用等方面對(duì)他們提出了嚴(yán)格的要求。
他們?cè)趦芍軆?nèi)禁食酸奶和奶酪等類似食物。
然后研究者們提取了他們唾液和舌苔的樣本，用于測(cè)量（口腔內(nèi)的）細(xì)菌水平和能誘發(fā)異味的化合物，如硫化氫。
志愿者們?cè)诮酉聛?lái)的六周內(nèi)每天飲用90克酸奶。
在研究快結(jié)束時(shí)，研究者們?cè)俅尾杉藰颖尽Ｋ麄儼l(fā)現(xiàn)80%的受試者口腔內(nèi)的硫化氫含量有所降低。
此外，在飲用酸奶的受試者當(dāng)中，牙菌斑和牙齦炎的發(fā)病率也顯著降低。
英國(guó)牙科保健基金會(huì)負(fù)責(zé)人奈杰爾·卡特醫(yī)生說(shuō)：“基金會(huì)一直在努力激發(fā)人們對(duì)無(wú)糖酸奶這種健康零食的興趣，因此我們很高興聽(tīng)到它能促進(jìn)口腔健康，這是我們以前沒(méi)有意識(shí)到的。”
“頻繁攝取含糖的零食是蛀牙形成的主要誘因，給人們帶來(lái)了很大的痛苦和不便。”
“盡管這項(xiàng)研究仍然處于初級(jí)階段，毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)的是，無(wú)糖酸奶是比糖果和巧克力更健康的替代品。我們應(yīng)該鼓勵(lì)零食愛(ài)好者們把它作為日常飲食的一部分。”
每四人中會(huì)有一人經(jīng)常受到口腔異味的困擾，而每20人中就有19人在生命的某一階段受到牙齦疾病的侵襲。
然而，卡特醫(yī)生強(qiáng)調(diào)防治口臭的最好方法還是養(yǎng)成良好的口腔衛(wèi)生習(xí)慣。包括每天使用含氟化物的牙膏刷牙二次，減少含糖零食和飲料的攝入量，每天使用牙線清潔牙齒，并定期拜訪牙醫(yī)。
（中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)站譯） |
Updated: 2005-03-23 10:09