Vitamin drink warning

Fizzy vitamin drinks could be almost as damaging to your teeth as sugary soft drinks and fruit juices, new research has revealed.

Effervescent vitamins such as Berocca can cause minerals in teeth to leach out, making them weaker and more prone to decay, according to a recent study in Finland.

The worst corroders were Vitamin C drinks, due to their high levels of citric acid.

The Herald on Sunday had five of the most popular vitamin drinks on sale in New Zealand tested by AUT senior chemist Chris Whyburd.

Of of the five products, Berocca Performance, which contains Vitamin B and C, had the lowest pH of 3.96.

The lower the pH level, the more likely the drink it is to damage your teeth.

By comparison, Coca Cola has a pH of 2.5, according to coke.co.nz, and white wine has an average reading of 3.09. Water is considered to have a neutral pH level of seven.

Auckland dentist Dr Erin Collins said consumers often fall into the trap of thinking only sugar harms their teeth.

She said anything with a pH of less than 5.8 can cause erosion.

"They overwhelm the protective influence of the mouth. It can only take so much before it's full and it will no longer neutralise the acids. Your mouth should be pH 7."

Nutritionist Anna Richards said having the occasional vitamin drink was okay, but they should not be taken every day.

"The constant washing of sugar over your teeth causes an acid environment that causes tooth decay."

Lorraine Moser, Healtheries marketing manager, said damage to tooth enamel could be just as high when eating an orange or other fruit.

"Taking a fizzy drink once a day would be a very, very small part in softening teeth enamel."

Moser recommended people who use a fizzy vitamin supplement should have a glass of water to rinse their mouth out before brushing their teeth.

The warning came after scientists at the University of Helsinki found fizzy vitamin drinks caused teeth to "leach out" valuable minerals.

Another study, by the University of Baltimore Dental School, found citric acid, the primary ingredient of many fizzy vitamin drinks, caused erosion in teeth. While the erosion is less than in drinks that also contain sugar, it is still significant.