Kismis, sifatnya sama dengan anggur, karena memang terbuat dari anggur.

Kismis mengandung banyak manfaat dan mampu memberikan suntikan gizi yang baik sekali. Bahkan, seorang Ulama bernama Az-Zuhri berkata: Barangsiapa yang ingin menghafal hadist, hendaknya ia makan kismis. Di buat dari buah kismis pilihan, di import dari timur tengah, diproses se ara modern dengan menerapkan !"# $ystem, tanpa bahan kimia penga%et, aman dikonsumsi anak & anak maupun de%asa. Konsumsi se ara moderat tidak men'adi masalah karena kismis dibuat dari anggur merah yang dikeringkan. Bila dibandingkan dengan bahan segarnya, kadar serat kismis 'auh lebih tinggi karena bentuknya lebih kering. $ekitar () gram kismis dihitung sebagai satu porsi buah. *ni berarti setengah dari konsumsi buah harian yang direkomendasikan bagi anak dengan diet +.))) kalori. $elain mengandung antioksidan, kismis 'uga tinggi karbohidrat serta kaya serat dan zat besi. Dalam kismis 'uga terkandung potasium dan zat besi. $ekitar , persen kebutuhan dua mineral tersebut bisa diperoleh dari -. gram kismis. /amun, pemberian kismis bagi anak harus diperhatikan. Bentuknya yang ke il bisa menyebabkan anak tersedak. *tu sebabnya, 0e1as 2hildren 3ospital, Amerika $erikat, tidak mengan'urkan pemberian kismis pada anak berusia di ba%ah dua tahun. "enurut #rof. D4. "ade Asta%an, "$, ahli teknologi pangan dan gizi dari *#B, kandungan kismis yang utama adalah karbohidrat, 5itamin, dan mineral, sedangkan kadar proteinnya rendah. 4asa manis yang timbul pada kismis memang disebabkan kadar gula yang ukup tinggi. 6enisnya gula sukrosa, fruktosa, dan glukosa. $ukrosa dan fruktosa relatif lebih sedikit membuat gigi berlubang. "enghambat Bakteri $ebuah studi yang dilakukan para peneliti dari Uni5ersity of *llinois, 2hi ago 2ollege of Dentistry, A$, menun'ukkan bah%a konsumsi kismis membantu men egah ter'adinya gigi berlubang serta penyakit gusi. 4upanya, lima 'enis antioksidan yang terdapat pada kismis berguna dalam pen egahan tersebut. Kandungan asam oleanolik dan komponen fitokimia lainnya 'uga menghambat pertumbuhan bakteri dalam mulut, terutama bakteri yang bertanggung 'a%ab terhadap kerusakan gigi. 7itokimia merupakan komponen antioksidan alami yang di'umpai pada tumbuhan. 7itokimia yang terdapat pada kismis yang spesifik ini membantu mela%an kerusakan gigi dan penyakit gusi. Begitu pernyataan 6ulie 6ones, #h.D, profesor bidang gizi dari 2ollege of $t. 2atherine. Asam tersebut akan menghentikan upaya bakteri dari perlengketan pada permukaan gigi. Dengan demikian, akan men egah ter'adinya plak. 3asil

penelitian yang dibiayai oleh 2alifornia 4aisin "arketing Board dipresentasikan a%al tahun -)). pada pertemuan Ameri an $o iety for "i robiology, Atlanta, A$. 8alau demikian, masih banyak ahli yang tetap menganggap bah%a kismis bisa merusak gigi. Ada benarnya pernyataan itu, terlebih bila sehabis mengonsumsi kismis anak lupa menggosok gigi. $ebenarnya ada dua faktor utama yang meningkatkan risiko gigi berlubang pada anak. /ational /et%ork for 2hild 2are, *o%a $tate Un5iersity, menyebutkan bah%a lamanya makanan berada pada mulut dan 'umlah kandungan gula yang ada pada makanan yang dikonsumsi, akan meningkatkan risiko kerusakan gigi. Bila makanan tersebut lengket atau dikulum, akan bertahan lebih lama dalam mulut. "akanan seperti pop orn yang berselaput karamel lebih enderung menyebabkan ter'adinya gigi berlubang. Beberapa 'enis makanan men'adi masalah saat dikonsumsi tersendiri, tetapi tidak men'adi masalah ketika diasup sebagai bagian dari makanan utama. !igi mempunyai kesempatan lebih baik untuk membersihkan zat bergula oleh makanan lainnya dan airan yang ikut masuk ke mulut. 2ara terbaik adalah membuat makanan yang lengket seperti buah kering sebagai bagian dari makanan utama dan berikan buah segar sebagai kudapan bergizi. Beberapa fakta tentang kismis: +. Di A$, kismis populer sebagai penyerta sarapan. Biasanya ditambahkan pada sereal. Di *ndonesia, kismis lebih banyak dikonsumsi sebagai kudapan. -. Kismis rendah sodium, bebas lemak, dan sumber yang baik untuk zat besi, potasium, serta serat. Kismis 'uga kaya antioksidan, bahkan memegang peringkat buah paling kaya antioksidan. #ada +)) gram kismis terkandung -.9:) ;42A unit atau o1ygen radi al absorban e apa ity < kapasitas untuk menyerap oksigen radikal= . ;42A adalah ukuran kekuatan antioksidan dalam makanan. :. "enurut 2harles $tuart #latkin, ahli gizi dan penulis buku 0he Automati Diet, kalori kismis sayangnya akan bertambah sekitar satu kalori per kismis. 0idak seperti anggur. $atu kotak ke il kismis < biasanya di'ual dalam bentuk kemasan kotak= bisa mengandung (. kalori. Kismis tidak mengenyangkan seperti buah lain atau anggur merah yang lebih banyak kandungan airnya dan lebih rendah kalori. (. $ebelum kemasannya dibuka, kismis bisa tahan lama di dalam suhu ruang. /amun, begitu dibuka, perlu dimasukkan ke dalam lemari es. #ilih kismis dengan %arna yang baik < tidak terlalu gelap= , 'uga tidak rusak akibat serangga. .. Untuk mendapat manfaat sehat kismis, Anda bisa menggunakannya sebagai pengganti bahan pemanis dalam makanan anak. 0aburkan sekitar +)-+. kismis pada sereal untuk memperoleh rasa manis. Bisa pula di ampurkan saat membuat mufin, sebagai pengganti keping okelat. Kismis bisa ditambahkan pada oatmeal untuk menambah rasa atau ditaburkan pada roti yang telah diolesi selai ka ang

untuk memperkaya serat. Komposisi Zat !izi Kismis per +)) gram Air < g= +(, > ?nergi < Kal= :)#rotein < g= :, :> @emak total < g= ), (A Abu < g= +, AA Karbohidrat < g= ,>, .0otal serat < g= ( !ula < g= .>, +> Kalsium < mg= .: Zat besi < mg= +, ,> "agnesium < mg= :. 7osfor < mg= ++. #otasium < mg= ,(A $odium < mg= +Zin < mg= ), :0embaga < mg= ), :A: "angan < mg= ), :)9 $elenium < mkg= ), , Bitamin 2 < mg= :, 4ibofla5in < mg= ), +> /iasin < mg= +, +(7olat < mkg= : Bitamin K < mkg= :, . Bitamin ? < mkg= ), +"A/*$/CA K*$"*$ $?3A0KA/ !*!* 0*DAK semua orang kenal manfaat kismis. #adahal, selain enak, kismis kaya kalori, serat, dan mineral. "akanan yang bisa di'adikan amilan ini, banyak mengandung antioksidan dan serat, serta baik bagi kesehatan mulut dan gigi. Apakah Anda penggemar rotiD 6ika ya, Anda pasti kenal kismis. $alah satu 5ariasi roti adalah mengandung kismis di dalamya. 7ungsi kismis pada roti adalah sebagai penga%et alami yang dapat memperpan'ang masa simpan, menambah rasa manis, serta memperbaiki tekstur dan penampakan < khususnya %arna= . Kismis 'uga banyak digunakan sebagai peningkat aroma dan rasa manis pada pembuatan permen, okelat, es krim, akes, ookies, yoghurt, dan saus. Kismis < raisin= dibuat dengan ara mengeringkan buah anggur tidak berbi'i, terutama dari 'enis Binifera, seperti 0hompson $eedless. Anggur 'enis tersebut selain tidak berbi'i, 'uga memiliki kulit tipis, serta aroma dan rasa yang sangat manis. Buah tersebut mudah dikeringkan, serta tidak perlu ditambahkan gula sebagai penga%et. Di 2alifornia, >. persen kismis dibuat dari anggur 'enis tersebut.

#roses pengeringan buah anggur dapat dilakukan se ara alami dengan sinar matahari atau menggunakan o5en. #roses pengeringan dilakukan hingga men apai kadar air +.& +9 g dan kadar gula A9& ,) g per +)) g kismis. Kismis yang baik memiliki %arna okelat kehitaman atau keemasan. @*/DU/!* 6A/0U/! #enelitian 2hristine D. 8u dari Uni5ersitas *llinois di 2hi ago, A$, menun'ukkan bah%a kismis mengandung senya%a yang dapat mela%an bakteri penyebab kerusakan gigi dan gusi. $enya%a yang dimaksud adalah antioksidan alami yang berupa oleanoli a id, oleanoli aldehyde, betulin, betulini a id, dan .-< hydro1ymethyl= ---furfural. ;leanoli a id mampu menghambat pertumbuhan dua spesies bakteri penghuni mulut, yaitu $trepto o us mutans penyebab timbulnya plak dan kerusakan gigi, serta #orphyromonas gingi5alis, penyebab penyakit periodontal. $enya%a tersebut efektif mela%an bakteri pada konsentrasi -)) hingga +.))) mikrogram per mililiter. Anggapan masyarakat yang menyatakan bah%a makanan yang bersifat lengket di gigi adalah merugikan, tidaklah selalu benar. Kismis %alaupun mengandung gula dan bersifat lengket di gigi, ternyata memiliki kemampuan untuk menghalau pertumbuhan mikroba perusak gigi dan gusi. Ditin'au dari sudut pandang tersebut, mengonsumsi kismis 'auh lebih baik dibandingkan permen. Belum lagi 'ika ditin'au dari kandungan gizi kismis yang 'auh lebih unggul daripada permen. #enelitian 2arl @. Keen dari Uni5ersitas 2alifornia-Da5is menun'ukkan, konsumsi kismis setiap hari selama ( minggu meningkatkan kapasitas antioksidan plasma, yang pada gilirannya menurunkan la'u oksidasi @D@ < kolesterol 'ahat= . #enghambatan la'u oksidasi @D@ bermanfaat untuk peningkatan kesehatan kardio5askular dan men egah berbagai penyakit degeneratif. $ementara itu, penelitian Andre% 6. Dannenberg dari 8eill "edi al 2ollege2ornell Uni5ersity pada he%an per obaan menun'ukkan, ate hin < salah satu 'enis fenolik yang bersifat sebagai antioksidan= pada kismis dapat mengurangi terbentuknya tumor hingga ,) persen. Antioksidan dapat melindungi sel dari kerusakan oksidatif, sehingga menghambat proses penuaan, baik pada tubuh maupun otak. Antioksidan 'uga penting untuk melindungi kolesterol dan lemak darah dari proses oksidasi. @emak teroksidasi yang terdapat di dalam darah akan menumpuk pada dinding arteri menyebabkan penyempitan < aterosklerosis= . #enyempitan pembuluh darah tersebut pada gilirannya dapat menyebabkan penyakit 'antung koroner, stroke, dan hipertensi.

Bersihkan Usus Kadar serat pangan pada +)) g kismis adalah ., : g. #enelitian "ary ?llen 2amire dari Uni5ersitas "aine menun'ukkan, serat pangan pada kismis dapat mengikat asam empedu dan membuangnya ke luar tubuh melalui proses buang air besar. Asam empedu adalah hasil akhir dari proses metabolisme kolesterol. Dengan semakin banyaknya asam empedu yang terbuang, semakin banyak pula kolesterol yang akan terurai untuk pembentukan kembali asam empedu. "ekanisme tersebut dengan sendirinya akan menurunkan kadar kolesterol se ara perlahan-lahan. #enurunan kolesterol darah bermanfaat untuk men egah penyakit 'antung koroner dan kanker. Kismis 'uga mengandung inulin, yaitu se'enis karbohidrat berserat. $elain pada kismis, inulin 'uga terdapat pada ba%ang merah, ba%ang putih, dan gandum. *nulin tidak dapat di erna di dalam usus ke il, sehingga menu'u ke usus besar < kolon= dalam keadaan utuh. Di dalam kolon, inulin difermentasi oleh se'umlah mikroflora menghasilkan senya%a yang mendorong pertumbuhan mikroflora baik < seperti @a toba illus dan Bifidoba teria= dan menekan pertumbuhan mikroflora E 'ahatF < seperti ?s heri hia oli dan $taphylo o us= . $etiap +G - angkir kismis alifornia mengandung +, . gram inulin yang berperan sebagai prebiotik < perangsang pertumbuhan bakteri baik= , penurun kadar kolesterol, peningkat sistem imun < kekebalan tubuh= , serta pemelihara kesehatan usus, terutama usus besar. $e'umlah penelitian membuktikan bah%a inulin merupakan prebiotik yang baik, yang antara lain memiliki fungsi untuk meningkatkan efisiensi penyerapan kalsium dan men egah osteoporosis. Kombinasi serat pangan dan asam tartarat pada kismis sangat bermanfaat untuk pemeliharaan fungsi dan kesehatan kolon. Asam tartarat banyak terdapat pada kismis, buah anggur, dan buah asam 'a%a < tamarind= . #enelitian !ene A. $piller menun'ukkan bah%a konsumsi satu angkir kismis setiap hari dapat meningkatkan keasaman kolon dan menurunkan %aktu transit sisa makanan di dalam kolon. #enurunan %aktu transit sisa makanan di dalam kolon sangat penting untuk mengurangi kesempatan kontak antara senya%a bera un dengan dinding kolon, sehingga sangat efektif untuk men egah ter'adinya kanker kolon. #?/!A8?0 "AKA/A/ A@A"* ?kstrak kismis dapat menghambat pertumbuhan mikroorganisme patogen < penyebab penyakit= seperti @isteria mono ytogenes, ?s heri hia oli )+.,: 3,, dan $taphylo o us aureus. Dengan demikian, penambahan kismis ke dalam berbagai makanan dapat digunakan sebagai penga%et alami, yaitu menghambat pertumbuhan mikroba patogen dan perusak makanan. *tulah sebabnya kismis sering di ampurkan ke dalam roti, selain sebagai pemberi rasa manis 'uga sebagai penga%et. #enambahan kismis ke dalam makanan

berbasiskan daging < kornet dan sosis= dapat mengurangi penggunaan nitrat. #enambahan nitrat ke dalam daging dimaksudkan untuk mempertahankan %arna merah, sekaligus sebagai penga%et daging. Di dalam tubuh, nitrat atau nitrit dapat berikatan dengan senya%a amin < dari protein= membentuk nitrosamin, suatu senya%a yang bersifat karsionogenik < menyebabkan kanker= . #enambahan kismis ke dalam berbagai resep makanan, selain memberikan ita rasa yang khas 'uga bersifat menga%etkan. Alasan tersebut yang menyebabkan belakangan ini banyak resep makanan

ntas, dengan semua kandungan tersebut apakah manfaat kismis untuk kesehatan? Dikutip dari boldsky, berikut beragam manfaat kesehatan kismis: "era%at gigi Kismis mengandung oleanolic acid yang mampu melindungi gigi dari keropos dan kerusakan. Selain itu, zat tersebut juga mencegah bakteri berkembang di dalam mulut, di mana bakteri tersebut umumnya menyebabkan bau mulut tak sedap serta gingivitis. "embantu meredakan sembelit roblem sembelit biasanya dialami karena tubuh kurang serat. Sedangkan kismis sendiri adalah camilan yang kaya serat, sehingga efektif membantu mengatasi sembelit dan memperlancar pencernaan.

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Here come the raisins

Here come the raisins

An emphasis on raisin consumption for controlling dental caries

by $ta ey Bell, D$ !utrition is an integral part of oral health. "he focus of this article is to present a healthy diet, one that emphasizes raisins. "he primary public health measures for reducing caries risk, from a nutritional perspective, are the consumption of a balanced diet by follo#ing the $ood %uide yramid, and, from a dental perspective, using topical fluorides and consumption of fluoridated #ater. &onsumption of a poor diet, particularly one rich in sugary foods, can cause dental caries despite fluoridation. 'hat constitutes a healthy diet that augments good dental hygiene? (ost carbohydrate) containing foods precipitate the formation of caries, and those that adhere to the teeth *i.e., sticky+ are thought to be the #orst offenders. arado,ically, raisins possess both of these characteristics, but do not induce dental caries. -n addition, they contain a good source of nutrients, so that using them as one serving of fruit per day or as a healthy, lo#)fat snack is desirable and does not increase the risk of dental caries. Dental hygienists should recommend that patients eat a healthy diet, and no# can suggest raisins be included to count as one of the servings of fruit needed each day. Despite the use of fluoride in toothpaste and public #ater systems, the t#o most prevalent oral infectious diseases are dental caries and periodontal disease.. !utrition is an integral part of oral health and operates in a t#o)#ay system. Diet has a local effect on oral health, primarily on the integrity of the teeth, p/, and composition of saliva and pla0ue. !utrition has a systemic effect on the integrity of the oral cavity, including teeth, periodontium, oral mucosa, and alveolar bone.. &ertain foods like those that are sticky may have a heightened cariogenic capacity, because of the increased e,posure of the tooth to demineralization.1 2s early as .345, a relationship #as observed bet#een tooth decay and diet.4 Dr. 6ion 7. 8ast summarized the kno#n science of his time.4 (ost of the #ork #as conducted on institutionalized children, because their dietary intake could be controlled. $irst, Dr. 8ast concluded that a healthy diet 9 containing milk, green vegetables, and fruits 9 reduced the risk of dental caries. Second, he found that vitamin D added to milk or obtained from cod liver oil, #hich #as customary at the time, also reduced this risk. /e outlined a simple, daily diet for healthy children, #hich arrested caries formation: one 0uart of milk, one egg, one ounce of butter, one teaspoonful of cod liver oil *for vitamin D, but no# one 0uart of milk per day #ould provide ade0uate vitamin D+, t#o vegetables *one being ra#+, and fresh fruits. "his simple diet plan is similar to #hat is proposed today in the :.S. Department of 2griculture $ood yramid.; "oday it is kno#n that children aged 1 to < years #ho had the best dietary practices #ere ;;= less likely to e,hibit severe early childhood caries *8&&+ compared to those consuming a poorer diet.> "he children #ith the best teeth, compared to those in the #orse group, ate more fruit, dairy products, and grains. $ruits #ere singled out as being particularly effective at interfering #ith pla0ue formation, because they reduce the production of acids from oral bacteria. -t is thought that the high polyphenol and fiber in fruits is the reason for the uni0ue benefit. 8ating a healthy diet also provides teeth the necessary nutrients to maintain their strength *"able .+.

Impact of nutrition on oral health

"he most common recommendation to maintain healthy teeth is to reduce the intake of sugar and other fermentable carbohydrates.. "hese substances, after being hydrolyzed by salivary amylase, provide substrate for the actions of oral bacteria, #hich in turn lo#er pla0ue and salivary p/. "his results in the beginning of tooth demineralization. -t is best to consume sugar and other fermentable carbohydrates #ith meals, or as snacks in conjunction #ith protein such as cheese or milk to reduce the risk of this adverse effect. Some researchers have 0uestioned the cariogenic harm of sugar. -n a 1??3 revie# of the evidence, only si, of 1?? articles sho#ed a strong relationship bet#een sugar 0uantity consumed and dental caries.@ /o#ever, more studies *.3+ sho#ed a relationship bet#een sugar fre0uency consumption and dental caries formation. Athers have reported that trying to determine the amount of sugar children consume is 0uite difficult, and this could e,plain these unusual findings.5 7egardless, sugar contains no essential nutrients, e,cept calories, and therefore should be limited for health reasons and #eight management. &he#ing sugarless gum that contains ,ylitol and sorbitol after meals or snacks for .< to 1? minutes may reduce dental caries formation.3 -f a pregnant #oman che#s ,ylitol)containing gum, she can delay the inevitable transmission of S. mutans to her baby by nearly nine months. "his is long enough to be of benefit to prevent tooth decay in very young children.

Raisins: Are they cariogenic?

"he 2merican Dental 2ssociation advises consumers to avoid sticky, clingy foods rich in carbohydrates, because they pose an increased risk of dental caries.1 7aisins #ere thought to cause dental caries, because they possess both of these properties. (ost retained food particles serve as reservoirs of fermentable carbohydrates, thereby permitting pla0ue)forming microorganisms to continually produce acid and prolong the cariogenic challenge to the teeth. 2 research group at the $orsyth -nstitute in 6oston asked consumers to rate the stickiness of 1. foods to see if they could figure out #hich foods to avoid. "hese ratings #ere then compared to actual stickiness, using standardized methodology, #hich measured the retention time of food on a tooth. &onsumer perception #as that caramels, jelly beans, and filled chocolates #ere considered most sticky. 2pples #ere thought to be the leastB many of the other foods in the middle range of stickiness #ere ranked very close to each other. "hese included dried figs, milk chocolate bars, raisins, granola bars, cream sand#ich cookies, cream)filled sponge cake, and oatmeal cookies. Specifically, raisins ranked ninth of the 1. foods. arado,ically, those rated as most sticky *caramels and jelly beans+ #ere among those least retained. -nstead, some perceived as lo# stickiness 9 potato chips, salted crackers, and sugared cereal flakes 9 had longer retention times. 2lthough raisins #ere perceived to be as sticky as granola bars, cream sand#ich cookies, and oatmeal cookies, they had only .;= as much retention as these other foods. "hese data emphasize that consumers do not have ade0uate kno#ledge to determine #hich foods are sticky and should be avoided.

he impact of raisins on dental caries formation has been the focus of intense investigation. It seems logical that raisins would be a good choice because they were deemed to be less sticky than many other foods.2 Raisins are a healthy food to include with a meal or use as a snack, because they are low-fat, high-fiber, and contain the same healthy polyphenols as grapes. Dr. hristine !u and her colleagues at the "niversity of Illinois ollege of Dentistry set out to determine the cariogenic effects of raisins in a series of e#periments.$%-$& hanges in pla'ue pH in response to eating raisins and foods containing them was determined.$% ( pH of ).) to ).* renders the enamel at risk for acid attacks and caries formation. In this study, $+ adolescents ,this age was chosen as they develop the most dental caries of any age group- ate $% grams ,about $.& of an ounce- of raisins from /hompson 0eedless 1rapes, the same amount of bran cereal with and without raisins, and a raisin bran cereal with sugar added. 0ugar ,sucrose- and sorbitol were used as controls. (ll dietary interventions lowered pla'ue pH e#cept sorbitol, as e#pected as it has no known cariogenic effects. /he reduced pla'ue pH peaked at $) minutes, and returned to the pre-test pH by &% minutes for all foods e#cept sucrose. /he food that lowered the pH the most was the bran cereal with raisins and added sugar. /hus, raisins on their own, or added to bran cereal, were better for the teeth than sucrose or raisin bran cereal with added sugar. ( second group of younger children ,*-$$ years of age- consumed the same diets.$$ /en minutes after raisins were consumed, the pH dropped, but recovered after &% minutes. /he results were similar to the adolescents. 2ven though raisins contained the highest sugar content of all foods tested ,345 sugar-, they were less acidogenic than bran cereal with raisins and added sugar. !hen raisins were added to bran, the acidity was lower than bran flakes alone, suggesting that raisins help enhance clearance of chewed bran particles from the teeth. /hese studies dispel the myth that all sticky foods are cariogenic, and that raisins may, in fact, act as cleaners of teeth such as apples and bananas. /he same investigators determined how the raisins were able to protect the teeth by reducing the time of acidic e#posure.$2 (n ethanol e#tract of /hompson 0eedless raisins ,6itis vinifera 7.- was prepared. /he ability to suppress cariogenic bacteria strains 8 0. mutans, 9orphyromonas gingivalis, and :usobacterium nucleatum 8 was assessed. /he raisin e#tract was able to suppress growth of the first two organisms and reduce adherence to a biofilm of the third. :rom this study, it appears that raisins, because they contain natural phytochemicals, may contribute to oral health by suppressing growth of selected bacteria or by interfering with adherence of cariogenic bacteria. ;ne phytochemical found in raisins, oleanolic acid, appeared to be the most virulent antibacterial agent against 0. mutans and 9. gingivalis.$& (nother group of dental researchers at 9affenbarger Research enter in 1aithersburg, <d., looked at the deminerali=ing effect of raisins in a well-established in vitro model.$> In brief, the model uses human molars, which

have a section of the outer enamel e#posed. /he teeth were incubated with 0. mutans and a variety of test substances including a saliva-like solution ,negative control-, brain-heart infusion broth ,positive system control-, milk, orange ?uice, and a raisin e#tract. /eeth were bathed on and off with bacteria and test solutions to mimic the oral environment in the mouth. ;ver the ne#t seven days, @-ray microradiographs of the teeth were assessed. /he least to the most deminerali=ation wasA brain-heart broth infusion B milk B saliva-like solution B raisin e#tract B orange ?uice. ompared to the negative control, raisins were more cariogenic as they e#hibited a lower pH around the tooth, but the results were not significant. <ilk had less deminerali=ation activity compared to raisins and orange ?uice.$> /his was probably because it is rich in calcium and phosphorus, which is similar to the makeup of a tooth, and low in sugar. Coth raisins and orange ?uice are acidic ,&.3-&.+ and &.), respectively- and are nearly devoid of calcium and phosphorus ,e#cept for calciumfortified orange ?uice-D it is unlikely that they could perform as well as milk. However, despite the pH of orange ?uice and raisins being similar, raisins outperformed the orange ?uice. /his was thought to be due to the uni'ue polyphenol makeup. In addition, orange ?uice contains citric acid, which is a particularly strong calcium chelator and can dissolve a tooth more rapidly than other foods like raisins, which do not contain it. Cased on the totality of the evidence, raisins appear to have only a minimal cariogenic effect and are safe to be included in the diet of children and adults. In addition, the nutritional composition of raisins makes them a healthy choice as a serving of fruit or to be consumed as a snack ,see /able 2-. Raisins are low in fat and calories, fiber-rich, low in sodium and high in potassium, and have a sweet, satisfying flavor. Dental caries continue to be a ma?or public health problem in the "nited 0tates throughout the life span. /hey are formed from carbohydrate-rich foods, in particular sucrose, and those that are sticky. 2ven though raisins are perceived to be cariogenic, new research showed that they are rapidly cleared from the teeth, much like other fruits. In addition, despite having a sweet flavor, they are less cariogenic than sugar-coated raisin bran cereal and orange ?uice. /his may be due to the uni'ue blend of polyphenols and their ability to be cleared from the teeth rapidly. Raisins should be considered as a healthy, low-fat food to be eaten with meals or as a snack, as the previous concerns of their cariogenic effects have been refuted. Eutrition is an integral component of oral health, but dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants often fail to discuss its importance with their patients. /his review provided information on how to eat a healthy diet for optimal oral health. Eew information on raisins was also provided, which showed that they do not cause dental caries. Raisins are sweet and typically well-liked by children and adults. Hence, they can be recommended to patients without risking harm to the teeth

Raisins health benefits for Dental Health

ontrary to the saying that raisins give you cavities, the chewy te#ture and rich fiber in raisins actually helps cleanse your teeth and promote strong gums. ;leanolic acid, an active phytochemical in raisins helps destroy and suppress growth of streptococcus mutans, a type of bacteria responsible for causing tooth decays.

Effect of oleanolic acid-cyclodextrin inclusion compounds on dental caries by in vitro experiment and rat-caries model
Fo=ai F, 0u=uki G, ;kada <, Eagasaka E. !ource
Department of 9aediatric Dentistry, Hiroshima "niversity, 0chool of Dentistry, Gapan.

Abstract
2arlier work in vitro showed that oleanolic acid ,;(- was a potential inhibitor of insoluble glucan ,I01synthesis from mutans streptococci ,<0-. In this study, two oleanolic acid-cyclode#trin inclusion compounds ,;(- Ds-, oleanolic acid-1$-beta-cyclode#trin ,;(-1$-beta D- and oleanolic acid-betacyclode#trin ,;(-beta D-, were assayed for their effects on I01 synthesis from 0treptococcus mutans </4$>4R, and on the growth of oral bacteria. ;(-beta D inhibited I01 synthesis by )).& and &*.>5 at 32.) and $).3 micrograms.ml of ;(, respectively. Coth ;(- Ds inhibited the growth of <0, 0. sanguis, and 0. salivarius at > to 4 micrograms.ml of ;(. /he anticariogenic effect of the ;(-beta D was

e#amined in a rat-caries model. Rats in the infected control groups showed the highest caries score. /he infected treatment group C ,%.)5 ;( in diet- showed lower scores than the control group. /hese results suggest that ;(-beta D is a potential anti-caries agent.