Say Cheese

A slice of Stilton or a chunk of Brie is more than just a pleasant way to close out a sumptuous dinner. Scientists say you would also be doing your teeth just a world of good.

Dentists and nutritionists say research has found that cheese actually guards against tooth decay. The nutrition.org.uk/" target="window">British Nutrition Foundation suggests that cheese "is the perfect enemy of sugars as they launch their corrosive attack on dental enamel."

The findings are the result of numerous studies, the latest of which involved a wide-ranging review of diet and health by Dr. Paula Moynihan of Britain's Newcastle University. Dr. Judy Buttriss, science director for the foundation, says the beneficial effects of cheese may be traced to a protein called casein.

She says the protein breaks down in the mouth and combines with calcium and phosphates in the cheese to restore the minerals in dental enamel as fast as the acid caused by sugar intake leaches them out. Experts say cheese added to any stage of the meal, such as a pasta sauce, can produce this healthy result.