Cavity Fighting Gummy Bears

First, there were the cavity fighting lollipops. Now, the cavity-fighting goodness of xylitol, a commonly used sugar substitute, in gummy bears!

Xylitol has already been shown to reduce levels of the harmful mutans streptococci (MS) bacteria that are known to cause tooth decay and is actually already being used as the active ingredient in anti-cavity chewing gum. However such a product were not considered to be suitable for young kids. What’s a better product to use as a vehicle then? Gummy bears, what else!

The children in the study were given four bears three times a day, containing different concentrations of xylitol. The results show that after six weeks of gummy bear snacking, the levels of harmful MS bacteria in the children’s plaque was significantly reduced. According to Ly “Based on our findings, it is feasible to develop a clinical trial of a gummy-based caries prevention programme. Such a study is now being carried out in the East Cleveland primary school district (Ohio, USA).”

Photo Credit: Wiretap Studios via Flickr