Cranberries may help prevent cavities

[Thom Little]

As Americans tuck into their Thanksgiving meals on Thursday, they can take heart that new research shows a generous helping of cranberry sauce may actually offer benefits for their teeth.

Cranberries, which already are known to help thwart urinary tract infections, may also prevent tooth decay and cavities, dental researchers reported in the January issue of the journal Caries Research.

The same sticky compounds in the small, hard red fruit -- which is boiled into a jelly that is a staple at American winter holiday meals -- that help keep bacteria at bay in the bladder also appear to help prevent bacteria from clinging to teeth, according to the researchers.

They also found it seemed to help ward off plaque, a gooey substance formed from bits of food, saliva, and acid that can harbor bacteria and eventually irritate the gums.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051124/hl_nm/cranberries_dc;_ylt=Ao4ete10n5oLpD9pL9f3dLys0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3czJjNGZoBHNlYwM3NTE-