To those interested,

Raw cereal starch is very slowly digested by human intestinal enzymes and also
by the bacteria that cause dental caries.  We human beings over the years in our
quest for more and more palatable food, have coincidentally increased the rate
of starch digestion in cereals by grinding (into flour) and cooking and more
recently by processes such as extrusion cooking (all the funny little shapes you
find in snack foods and breakfast cereals mean extrusion cooking has been used).

Recent research indicates that these quickly digested starches are more likely
to cause dental caries than slowly digested starches.  In fact they are just as
effective as the sugars in reducing the dental plaque pH.

One reference is:

Lingstrom P, Holm J, Birkhed D, Bjorck I.  Effects of variously processed starch
on pH of human dental plaque.  Scan J Dent Res, 1989, 97 : 392-400.

Best wishes  Jennie






Assoc. Professor Jennie Brand Miller
Human Nutrition Unit, Dept. of Biochemistry G08
University of Sydney, 2006, Australia
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FAX: 61.2.9351.6022
Ph: 61.2.9351.3759