Correlation between cravings for sweets and alcoholism

According to a new U.S. study, there may well be a connection between alcoholism in a child's family and the child's own perception of depression, and the child's craving for candy and other sweets. It shows just published research in the journal Addiction.

The U.S. researchers studied sweet preference in children with genetic predisposition to alcoholism, and came forward to alcohol and sweet taste is able to activate many of the same "reward circuitry" in the brain. The study also included children with depressive symptoms to see if they were launched in the same "reward circuit" with sweets.

The study involved 300 children between 5 and 12 years and their mothers. The children were allowed to taste the five concentrations of sucrose (sugar) in water, while researchers from a questionnaire that rated their children might. Depressive Episodes. It was also noted the concentration of sugar water each child enjoyed most. Mothers participating in the studies was to answer questions about alcoholism in the family.

The most intense sweetness, of the five different varieties of sugar water, consisting of 24% sucrose, corresponding to approx. 14 tsp. sugar in a cup of water. The result showed that out of the 300 children surveyed, there were 37 children who most enjoyed the most intense sweetness. It was found that the 37 infants had both alcoholism in the family and its own symptoms of depression. The intensity of the sweetest mixture was third sweeter than the other children in the study preferred.

Researchers uderstreger however, that a preference for sweet as a child does not necessarily mean an increased risk of alcoholism later in life, writes Tandlægebladet.

Menn Ella JA, Pepino MY, Lehmann-Castor SM, Yourshaw LM. Sweet preferences and analgesia vid childhood: Effects of family history of Alcoholism and depression. Addiction 2010; 105: 666-75.

"Sweet" cultural background affects young children caries

If mom and dad have a short training or non-Western background, the risk of caries in children significantly higher than in average. It shows a new Norwegian study, published in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.

In the study, 523 children by dental examination, while parents answering questions about socio-economic conditions and about their own dental habits. In the group of parents with non-western background and brief training had children, respectively, nine and twelve times greater risk of incipient caries in tooth enamel and bone. This is due to an excessive sugar intake and lacked regular brushing.

Non-Western background and brief training
"In the group parents with non-western background and brief training had children nine and 12 times as likely to have incipient caries in enamel and dentin. But the confidence intervals for these probabilities were quite large, ie. subject to some uncertainty - and one should also note that it is about 24 children out of a total 523, "says Dorthe Holst, professor of samfundsodontologi at Oslo University, adding:

"Evidence suggests that there is a 'sweet' and not too systematic toothbrush culture behind the numbers. Toddlers culture in some non-western families are different from what is now characterizes most of the Nordic. We also find high cariesaktivitet among Norwegian children, but rather it is a most assembly than a cultural challenge. Fortunately, studies of the same problem, among 14-16-year-old children and adolescents in Oslo, showed that the differences are erased. A good and respectful communication with the current risk families should be able to give good results. "

Read more in Tandlægebladet No. 4 2010 or www.tandlaegebladet.dk

Lower sugar levies gives poorer teeth

It's a bomb in particular children and young people's dental health, sugar levies have decreased every year since 2001. It goes Dental Association President Susanne Andersen, commenting on new data from the Treasury.

- We can see that the portions have become larger over the last ten years and it is hardly unlikely that it has something to do with the gradual tax reductions. Candy bags have become larger, and so is soda bottles. While the largest soft drink bottles, ten years ago contained 1 ½ liters, we are now at 2 liters. And it is a big problem for the teeth. The large bottles deadlines especially children and young people to have a soft bullet and take a sip of it periodically. In this way the teeth of a constant acid bath and the acid in soda can at worst corrode tooth enamel away, says Susanne Andersen.

Studies have shown that every 7 teenager to a greater or lesser degree has syreskader on tooth enamel.

In addition to acid damage is sugar in sodas and candy one of the major culprits when it comes to tooth decay. The tendency has been for many years, the Danes have fewer and fewer cavities, but Susanne Andersen is afraid that the positive trend will stop if the intake of sugar continues to rise.

Details are available from Dental Association by contacting the Communications Officer Falcon on May 70 25 77 11 or Communications Claus Jorgensen 70 25 77 11 or 21 26 56 98th