Compounds Found in Dental Plaque May Help to Reduce Salt Use
A team of researchers suggests the compounds, found in dental plaque, could help food manufacturers slash the amount of salt used in pre-prepared meals. Scientists at the University of Nottingham have found that compounds called dextrans can trick the human brain into thinking food is saltier than it really is.
An artificial substitute for salt has been discovered by researchers who believe it could help to make food healthier.
A team of researchers suggests the compounds, found in dental plaque, could help food manufacturers slash the amount of salt used in pre-prepared meals.
Dental plaque is a soft deposit that accumulates on the teeth.
It’s is a type of bio film, a colony of microorganisms suspended in fluid and mucus.
In case you don’t clean teeth from dental plaque, it can cause serious oral health problems, and it can eventually develop into tartar, a mineralized form of dental plaque which is very damaging, and very difficult to remove from the teeth.
Scientists at the University of Nottingham have found that compounds called dextrans can trick the human brain into thinking food is saltier than it really is.
Dextran is a starch-like molecule that is made by certain types of bacteria found in dental plaque.
It is also used medically as a way of reducing blood clotting.
Public health experts have been pushing to reduce the amount of salt in people’s diet as it can increase blood pressure, raising the risk of heart disease and strokes.
Professor Bettina Wolf, who led the study, says: ‘Though reducing the salt content in processed food could significantly improve the health of the population, the detrimental change in flavour presents a major challenge as consumers generally find low salt products unacceptable.’
Thickening agents are known to enhance the taste of saltiness in food, but can only be used in low concentrations to avoid making sauces and soups too thick.
Professor Bettina Wolf and her team at the division of food science at University of Nottingham found, however, that high concentrations of certain dextran molecules can increase the sensation of saltiness without dramatically thickening food.
The Food Standards Agency is currently running a campaign to cut salt consumption and has set targets for the food industry to reduce salt use by up to half by 2012.
Sources: dentistry.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk
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Categories: Dental News
anything to cut down on my salt intake would be great. Question: i’m a mouth breather and wake up every morning with a very dry mouth. could be a reason need to add more salt on my food to get a normal taste from it?? if so, does the ‘dry mouth’ mouth wash help combat this? thanks!