Milk - already touted as being good for bones - is similarly useful in ensuring healthy teeth, new research shows.
During a test to discover which drinks were potentially harmful to teeth, Shane Rutherfurd at the Nutrition Lab at Massey University found that milk replenished calcium and phosphate, the elements leached from teeth by sugary and carbonated drinks.
Lab manager Felicity Jackson said tooth material appeared to absorb the minerals in the milk. The dental health status of New Zealanders, particularly children, was a very topical issue, she said.
"The New Zealand dairy industry has generated dental safety data on some of its own products, but hard scientific data on a wider range of foods obtained within New Zealand is harder to find."
Ms Jackson said the test developed at Massey enabled drinks to be rapidly screened and their impact on dental health assessed.
- NZPA
nzherald.co.nz/health
Milk tops up tooth minerals
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