Gummy bears wage war on kids’ caries

Tests on American schoolchildren revealed giving them gummy bears three times a day cut the amount of plaque bacteria that are known to cause tooth decay.

The gummy bears contained xylitol, an artificial sweetener that is known to stifle the growth of streptococcus mutans bacteria.

The University of Washington study was carried out on 150 children aged five to ten. The children were randomly assigned high dose or low dose xylitol gummy bears or those containing another artificial sweetener called mannitol.

The results are published in the journal BMC Oral Health and show significant reductions on plaque causing bacteria amongst children eating both types of enhanced bears.

Xylitol has been shown in previous research to be effective in helping to prevent tooth decay but evidence on mannitol, which is a very similar substance, has been conflicting. "These results suggest that a xylitol gummy bear snack may be an alternative to xylitol chewing gum for dental caries prevention," the researchers wrote. "A larger clinical trial is needed to confirm the xylitol results."

Lead author Kiet A. Ly, from the University of Washington, said: "For xylitol to be successfully used...an effective means of delivering xylitol must be identified. Gummy bears would seem to be more ideal than chewing gum.

"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."

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